


Bad Influence

by Emric84



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Parenting, Blood and Violence, Crossover, Developing Friendships, Dysfunctional Family, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Not Beta Read, Problematic Adults, Sawada Iemitsu Being an Idiot, Sawada Tsunayoshi is Not Dame, Terrible childhoods, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 46
Words: 154,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25873078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emric84/pseuds/Emric84
Summary: NOTE: LIFE IS S**T. SORRY!Young Tsuna found a cursed mirror after school and ever since then his world was filled with these oddly shaped monsters. Now, he was not a jujutsu sorcerer. He has merely seen too much weird shit to give a damn anymore.Well, he can probably blame it on his environment, especially when said bad influence came in the form of one Zenin Toji.
Relationships: Fushiguro Toji/Sawada Tsunayoshi, Sawada Iemitsu/Sawada Nana
Comments: 561
Kudos: 842





	1. Tsuna & Toji - 1

**Author's Note:**

> Read the warnings before continuing please.
> 
> Warning: I got no idea what I’m writing. There will be a lot of random things and messed up time lines just because. I know I am a horrible human being and the relationships in this will probably be real problematic in all sorts of ways. Toji is Toji, he’s still going to be a shitty father and adult. 
> 
> Updates will be random because I got no structured plot planned and I have not proof read anything either. In conclusion, brace yourself and don’t have high standards or moral.

00

Five years old Tsunayoshi had one friend and they were the best of pals despite their age differences. 

“Toji-san!” he called cheerily as he raced with a small backpack on his back into the room at the end of the hall. The wooden floor creaked slightly beneath his feet and he nearly slammed the sliding doors open as he popped into the room. 

The owner of the room was sprawled out on the tatami. The dark haired teen’s green eyes snapped open and his muscles tensed for a moment. 

Tsuna ignored the odd tension as he rocketed himself towards the older boy’s chest. He could feel the hard muscles beneath him relaxed and the hand that was aiming to grip his throat went down to catch him in an embrace.

“Watch it,” Zenin Toji complained while he laid back on the floor, but he made no attempt to push Tsuna off. “What are you doing here anyways? Isn’t your mom going to be worried if you disappear for too long?”

“I told Mama I was going on an adventure with a friend. Mama made me some desserts for me to share with you!” Tsuna announced proudly as he pressed his ear to the other boy’s chest. Good, good. Toji-san’s heart is beating as strongly as it should. He doesn't smell the rusty scent of blood either. It means that Toji has healed from the wounds Tsuna saw last time. He had lost a lot of blood then and Tsuna was sure he was lying when he said the cuts weren’t as deep as they looked. 

A dark chuckle came from above him. Tsuna felt a hand ruffling his hair roughly. 

“Just be glad that no one comes around these parts of the house. If you get caught it’s going to be hassle getting you out.”

It was true. No one ever comes near this part of the Zenin house hold. The rooms here were small and dusty while the court yards were rarely taken care of either. The heating system doesn’t deliver this far in the winter and it faces the sun directly for most of the day in the summer. It was practically near abandoned since it was so far from the other essentials too. The only saving grace was that it was close to the storage, where the Zenins kept a lot of random objects—both cursed and non-cursed.

That gave Tsuna the opportunity to come and go without people noticing. 

“I sneaked in just like you taught me. No one saw me coming.” 

There was this strange cursed mirror in the storage. It wasn’t a very powerful one and the Zenins probably already forgot about it already. It was connected to another one Tsuna found half buried in a worn out shrine behind his elementary school. He had accidentally fell through it one day and ended up meeting Toji-san, who was sent to clean up the place as a punishment for whatever sad excuse the jujutsu sorcerers used just to bully him.

Apparently the mirror will trap people in it but somehow Tsuna was unaffected. 

Toji-san said it was because he doesn’t have any cursed energy so the mirror doesn’t detect him as a potential prey. Tsuna didn’t really understand it. Well, the rules of how jujutsu and curses work were hard to understand even for the best of brains so he can’t really be blamed. 

The hand on his head was softly playing with his hair. Tsuna lifted his head and saw Toji smiling at him with half-closed eyes. 

“You told your mom you were going on an adventure?”

Tsuna nodded. 

“Alright, let’s go find some then.” Toji suddenly scooped Tsuna up and headed out of the room.

“Toji-san, I can walk on my own.” He kicked his feet and wiggled his body, trying to get himself free from the older teen’s iron grip. 

“Pipe down, brat. All the good stuff would be gone by the time you get there yourself.” Toji was currently holding Tsuna under his arm as they sneaked into the main kitchen for the Zenin Clan. His strides were wide and his pace fast. It was definitely faster than Tsuna could run. There weren’t anyone around in the kitchen since there was still a bit of time left until dinner. The ones responsible would be out front prepping the dinning area. 

Toji set the kid down when he was sure they would have the kitchen to themselves. 

“Alright, eat up,” he said while mentioning towards the few prepped dishes already set out. There were some steaming fried chicken on the counter so he snatched a piece into his mouth before popping another one inside Tsuna’s. 

“Isn’t taking things without asking first impolite?” Tsuna huffed while trying to swallow the meat. His tongue burns slightly from how hot it was but it was juice and tender so he didn’t want to waste it. 

“It’s better than eating the left overs. No body will notice anyways.” Toji shrugged and folded his hands into the wide sleeves of his kimono. “For people like us with no curse energy, we’re like the invisible men.”

“Invisible is cool.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, no one notices when we sneak around. It’s like we’re ninjas.” Tsuna took another piece of fried chicken. “It’d be even better if I can have heavenly restriction too.”

There was a pause as silence filled the air. Toji bent down and stared at Tsuna in the eyes. 

“Why would you want that?” he asked quietly. His lips were pursed into a thin line and the scar on the corner of his mouth made his expression darker than normal. 

It didn’t scare Tsuna though. “Then I can do all those cool things Toji-san can do! And I won’t hurt myself as often so Mama wouldn’t have to worry about me as much.”

Toji cocked his head to the side suddenly and a grin split across his lips. 

“Time to run,” he announced. 

Tsuna felt a strong tug on his collar and his feet were off the ground before he knew it. Clasping his hands over his mouth to prevent the screams from escaping, Stun giggled silently while the wind rustled against his skin. They were far away from the crime scene before the Zenin Clan members even got close. 

Tsuna wrapped an arm around Toji’s neck as they hopped from roof top to roof top. The Zenin Clan was a big place and Tsuna hadn’t had the chance to explore all of it yet. 

They shared the sweets Nana made while sitting outside the storage house. Toji let him held a fly head (he still had no idea where the older boy got it from). Its got creepy beady eyes and soft wings. It tried to punch and bite Tsuna, which nearly caused him to let go. Meanwhile, Toji sat there laughing even as Tsuna yelped for help. 

“How come I can see the cursed spirits if I don’t have heavenly restriction or curse energy?” He asked while struggling to keep the little monster contained. 

“No idea. Maybe you’ve just been too close to death for too many times.” Finally, Toji reached a hand out and grabbed the fly head from Tsuna. 

He thought back to the multiple times where he had been chased by a mad dog, fallen off the stairs, got hit in the head by different types of balls. The more he thinks about it, the more it was feeling like the truth. 

Toji pinched Tsuna’s cheek to pull him back to reality. 

“It’s getting late. Off you go,” he ushered, “and tell your mom I said thanks for the dessert.”

Tsuna looked up at him. “Mama wouldn’t mind if you come visit sometimes. Then you can compliment her cooking in person.”

Truth to be told, she probably thought Toji-san was his imaginary friend. 

“Maybe when you get older or when I get the hell out of this dump.” Toji scratched his head with a frown. Tsuna knew why he was hesitant, the Zenins weren’t exactly kind to him and they sure have some real foul things to say about people without a talent for jujutsu. 

“Toji-san,” Tsuna jumped and wrapped his arms around the teen’s neck. They sat there, against the wall while the setting sun painted a layer of orange hue over everything across the horizon. “I can’t do much but I’ll always be there when you need me.”

“Yeah? Those are some big words for a pipsqueak like you.” Toji’s tone was lined with a hint of bitterness but his hold around Tsuna was strong and tight.

Five years old Tsunayoshi had one friend. They were the best of pals despite how different they were in appearances, age, and personality.

Nothing was ever going to separate them.

They were almost like a family after all.


	2. Tsuna & Toji - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Since Megumi’s mom’s name has not been revealed in the manga, I am calling her “Yuu” for now because I like that name.  
> -When I have time I might come and edit everything since it is reading like a rough draft. Like I said in the previous chapter, I haven't proof read anything. Excuse me for the typo and grammar mistakes.

01

Eleven years old Tsunayoshi believed Toji-san was an idiot.

He climbed up onto the tree besides a white apartment with ease even though his coat was a bit thicker than normal. The weather hadn’t been great since early fall and Nana had made him bundle up since he was still recovering from a cold. Tsuna hadn’t told her where he was going exactly. Some time around when he was eight years old Nana started becoming concerned that he was still hanging out with “Toji-san”.

_Toji-san was real._

He wanted to tell her but he didn’t have any proof. Back then, things weren’t looking great for Toji back at the Zenin Clan either so he didn’t want to bother the older man about it. In the end, he never spoke about Toji-san to his mom any more, letting her think that the phase had passed or something similar along those lines. 

Moving upon the branches, Tsuna was glad that he picked up a few things from Toji-san over the years. His body was still thin and small but his agility and reflexes had improved enough that he wasn’t tripping over his feet or crashing into things all the time.  
He climbed over to the balcony closest to the tree and hung his legs over the side. Beneath him, Toji-san was talking to a lady with slightly unruly black hair. 

The young woman was a different kind of pretty from Nana. Her skin was pale and her long eyelashes caused shadows upon her delicate features when her head was down. The problem was that she was biting hard on her bottom lip and her fists were tight against her sides. Toji-san’s expression also didn’t exactly evoke a friendly atmosphere and that made Tsuna worried.

“Don’t expect me to pay a penny for child support,” Toji spoke coldly and his words were lined with venom. “Get rid of it or give birth to it, I don’t care. Just don’t come bother me about it anymore.” 

“How could you say that?” the woman’s voice was on the edge of tears as her body trembled. “Did the time we spent together mean nothing to you? I thought you loved me.”

“You’re pathetic for believing that for even a second. I was bored. You happened to be there at the right time and was an easy catch so I didn’t mind playing the part of a boyfriend.”

“So you’re going to just walk away like this?”

“What else did you expect? It was fun while it lasted though, you were pretty good in bed.”

Alright, that was it.

The words were getting cruel and mean to the point where even Tsuna was beginning to feel uncomfortable. That was considering how being “Dame-Tsuna” and following Toji-san around to weird places have let him hear a lot of mean things over the years. So Tsuna did the only rational thing, he emptied his water bottle over Toji’s head. The liquid drenched the older man’s head and trailed down the hard line of his jaw before dripping onto the ground.

“What the—” He wiped the water from his face and looked up. “Tsuna?” Surprised, Toji’s eyes widened when he realized who was there.

_Toji-san really isn’t himself right now._

Tsuna rocked back and forth while sitting on the edge of the balcony. The normal Toji-san wouldn’t have gotten hit so easily and would have noticed him before he even got close. It only went further to prove what Tsuna was suspecting earlier.

_Now then..._

“Hey Miss!” Tsuna yelled with his hands beside his mouth. “I’m sorry about Toji-san. He smokes, he drinks, he lies, he gets into fights with scary people, and his job is probably not that honorable no matter how you look at it. You deserve someone a hundred times better than that idiot. Even though he has a handsome face, you should probably still dump him when you can.“

“Tsuna!” Toji barked as a warning.

A warning that Tsuna ignored promptly.

“But before you ditch him, that was actually him begging you to not leave. Toji-san said those things because he is scared. He’s scared that he can’t be a good father and he doesn’t know how to function in a proper family that doesn’t run on a bunch of crappy traditions.”

“Fuck! Shut up and get the hell out of here, you brat!” Toji’s face was painted red and his eyes narrowed upon the young boy. 

Tsuna pushed himself off the balcony and landed on the ground swiftly. One storey wasn’t too much of a problem for him these days. He was forced off much higher places when he went with Toji-san on his job. With a quick pivot, Tsuna spun around to hide behind the woman. 

Toji paused. His fingers twitching as he snarled, “Get back over here!”

“You don’t have to believe me. He’s a lost cause and is definitely not your responsibility to try to fix him, Miss.” Tsuna was careful but serious as he glanced up at her. 

“Who are you?” she asked while glancing back and forth between Tsuna and Toji. 

“I’m Sawada Tsunayoshi, a friend of Toji-San’s. Don’t worry, I’m not related to him by blood in any way,” he answered while circling around her because Toji-San was trying to grab him from his blind spot. “He talks about you a lot. You make him really happy. Toji-San might say those mean things but if you grab him now he will stay. Personally I think you should slap him first though, even if you don’t want him back.”

Hesitation flashed across her features. With a hand over her stomach, she asked softly, “I-is that true, Toji?”

Toji remained silent as he avoided his gaze. Tsuna watched as the woman slowly took a few steps closer to Toji and took his hand in hers. True enough, Toji didn’t push her away. 

A small laugh escaped the woman’s lips and melted into the wind. She returned to Tsuna and bent down to bring herself to eye level with him. Her eyes are still watery but the grin on her lips looked gentle and relaxed. 

“Tsuna-Kun, can I call you that?” she questioned.

“Of course you can.” Tsuna smiled. 

“Thank you. You can call me Yuu. Let’s be good friends ok, Tsuna-Kun?”

“I would love to.”

“You two are impossible.” Toji racked a hand through his hair with an annoyed scowl. “Goddamn it. I don’t care anymore.”

“Toji-san.”

“Toji.”

They both chided in unison. 

The black haired man tsked then came over and wrapped an arm around Yuu’s shoulder. He also grabbed Tsuna’s wrist and started walking down the street.

“I fucking give alright? Now can we get the heck out of this cold?” 

Tsuna laughed even as Toji smacked him on the head for nosing into other people’s business. Yuu laughed as well and she had one of the sweetest laughs Tsuna has ever heard.

“Thank you, Tsuna-Kun,” she told him right before they parted. Tsuna only smiled at her, knowing that she will be good for Toji-san.

Maybe, just maybe...it will be enough to free Toji-san out of those depressing chains imposed upon him by the Zenins.

#

As much as he wanted to, Tsuna couldn’t visit Toji and Yuu as often as he’d like. School and the unshakable feeling of prying eyes made him wary from even going anywhere near the cursed mirror in the shrine. This weird sense of someone spying on him had been an on and off thing throughout the years. Sometimes whoever it was will watch him for a week or so and disappear. Other times, they follow him around for a month or two then disappear again. 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried to catch them in the act. But his opponents were good enough that he never managed to even catch a glimpse of their shadows. He would have talked to Toji-san about it but his instincts told him the strangers in the shadows didn’t mean him or Nana any harm.

When he finally felt it was safe to visit Toji and Yuu, Tsuna rushed over and tagged along when Toji-san went to work. 

“Yuu looks like she’s doing well,” Tsuna yelled as he cut through another level four cursed spirit. There were about two to three left. Each of them looked like some abhorrent form of a giant green beetle with powerful mandibles and a twisted human face on their backs. “She said you’re looking for a job. Like, a real job job.” 

With a cursed sword in his hands, Tsuna took another slash at the monsters surrounding him. 

Toji was sitting on the dead body of a shaman that was missing an arm not too far away. There were a few blood stains on his baggy white pants but he didn’t seemed to mind. With a hand under his head, Toji fired a few shots at the beetle that had managed to sneak too close to Tsuna. “Don’t say it like I never had a real job before.”

The cursed spirits were a leftover problem from the dead shaman, who was Toji’s target this time. They weren’t strong so Toji was letting Tsuna take care of them all.

“What can Toji-San do? Teach gym or martial arts?” he huffed but almost started laughing as he imagined Toji-San as a teacher. He had better luck imagining the older man as a boxer even though it was still funny. 

“I trained you pretty well didn’t I? If I can make something out of you, I can probably do the same miracle to others.”

“You taught me how to kill cursed spirits.”

“And people! Don’t forget about that,” Toji added in an overly joyous tone. 

Even though he hadn’t killed anyone, Tsuna knew a lot of things Toji taught him was applicable to humans. Through ragged breath, he commented, “Killing people probably isn’t a very useful skill to write on your resume.”

The cursed spirits were gaining an upper hand on him. He finally got the number down to one but his stamina was running out. He could feel his fingers trembling around the handle of the sword and his vision getting hazy. His knees felt wobbly too even though he was biting down on his tongue to stay awake. 

“Yuu definitely won’t like it if she has to tell her neighbors that her husband is a contracted killer. Violence is not good for the baby either.” 

“About that, I got a name already.”

That surprised Tsuna and nearly made him forget to dodge the mandible coming down on his head. He dropped low as a blade pierced through from behind the beetle. The tip of the sword stopped right before Tsuna’s nose. 

“Really? We don’t even know if the baby will be a boy or girl yet.” He laid on the ground, sweaty and covered in dirt while Toji kicked the dead cursed spirit out of the way and pushed his sword back into its storage that was wrapped around his well-built frame. 

“Doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or girl,” Toji hauled Tsuna off the ground and carried him with one arm. “They will be named Megumi. It means blessing.”

Tsuna hummed while he shifted so that he wasn’t squishing the cursed spirit that was hanging on Toji’s torso. It gave him a gentle nudge as a friendly gesture. “It’s a good name.”

“You think so too, huh?”

“I think Yuu will like it.”

“Tsuna,” Toji said with a faint smile ghosting over his lips. His features were soft as he wiped the dirt from Tsuna's cheek with his thumb. “I’m marrying a civilian with no knowledge of jujutsu or cursed spirits. I’ve got no curse energy myself so our kid will probably be a monkey like me. I think...I think we might have a shot at a normal life, one that is far away from Zenin’s obsession with jujutsu and the madness that comes along with this line of work.”

“This is your last job with the underground contacts then?”

He nodded. “No more Sorcerer Killer.”

“Good. That was an embarrassing nickname anyways.” Tsuna leaned his head on the crook of the other’s neck. His eyelids were heavy and his body sore from the fight. Sleep was calling him but he couldn’t quite give in just yet. He still had to make it home and get cleaned up before his mom started to get worried.

“It’s still better than Dame-Tsuna,” Toji retorted.

“They only gave me that nickname because they can’t see what we see.” It wasn’t easy to remain unfazed or walk in a straight line when there was literally a giant ugly cursed spirit blocking his path. 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Go to sleep, you damn brat.”

“Can’t...Got to go...” Tsuna mumbled with half-closed eyes. “...Mom’s home.”

“I’ll put you back into your room without your mom noticing.”

“...Hmmm, ok.” Tsuna wanted to argue that Toji could just knock and introduce himself properly to Nana but that might be a topic for another day. Everything was finally going in a better direction, Tsuna didn’t want to rush things and cause a problem.

In his dreams, he saw baby Megumi sitting on Toji-San’s lap with Yuu by their side. Nana was bringing out a big dinner while Tsuna played with Megumi. It was a good dream. A relaxing and sweet dream that Tsuna can’t wait to see come true. 

But right now they will take things slow, one step at a time.


	3. Tsuna & Toji - 3

02

Twelve years old Tsunayoshi stood in the crematorium while cradling Megumi in his arms. His expression was blank as he leaned against the cool wall in the corner. A single tear rolled down the left side of his face as he hummed a soft lullaby to put Megumi to sleep. 

He got the call from Toji-san a few hours ago. The older man had bought him a phone so they could keep in contact without him disappearing from Namimori too often. They never thought it would be used for something like this. Tsuna made up a lie about going over to a friend’s place for a sleepover to Nana. She was so excited that it pained him to reject her offer of making them lunch boxes and snacks. Tsuna nearly bolted out of the house after he assured her he would be fine getting to this supposed sleepover by himself.

As he ran towards the shrine, he didn’t believe a single word Toji-san said to him over the phone.

_“Yuu is dead.”_

Those three words haunted his every breath even as he stood before the woman’s lifeless body lying on the hospital bed. The doctors had covered her face with a sheet of white fabric and Toji was sitting beside the bed with his face in his palms. 

Tsuna felt his lips move but no sound came out of his dried throat. His tongue was numb and his eyes never left the stilled figure on the bed. It felt as if his blood had frozen within his veins, causing his movements to be rigid and slow. The ground before him sunk lower, or maybe that was just his leg muscles giving out. Tsuna collapsed beside the grieving man. His vision went black as he reached a trembling hand onto Toji’s knee. 

“Toji-san,” he asked, “what happened?” 

It was a car accident.

A speeding crash that caught Yuu off guard from behind.The driver was dead on the scene. Yuu...Yuu made it to the hospital but it was still too late. 

Tsuna’s head was filled with the memory of the day Yuu gave birth. He could still feel the lingering warmth from her hand as she taught him how to hold Megumi properly. She had smiled at him then and promised that the four of them would go visit an amusement park when Megumi got a little older. 

Yuu talked about visiting Nana too. She was going to help him convince Toji-san to finally meet his mother and maybe they can even become neighbors. No more sneaking around or lying to Nana. 

Now she was gone. 

Gone.

Gone to a place that was too far away for him to reach. Tsuna tried to hold her limp hand in his. The cold and stiff skin drove shrivers down his spine. Now, he has seen corpses, many of them. His first time seeing one even caused him to puke on Toji-san’s shirt and left him having nightmares for days. But none of them could ever cause anything that could compare to what he was feeling now. 

Empty.

Like there was a chip in his chest and something inside of him was emptying out through the hole. He couldn’t quite understand what it was, let alone put it in words. 

Still, when the time came, he let go of Yuu’s hand.

 _Good night, Yuu._ He mumbled silently. Toji-san might have noticed but he only placed a hand on Tsuna’s head as a response. 

Tsuna took Megumi from the nurse that was kind enough to look after him when Toji first heard the news from the doctors. Toji-san hadn’t said much since he arrived at the hospital. He was like a puppet on strings, going through whatever process the hospital required for them to release the body. Tsuna followed close behind him as the older man finished the paperworks and arranged for a car to take them to the crematorium.

Yuu didn’t have any close family. Toji-san already cut off most ties with the Zenin clan too. He didn’t even inform any of them about the wedding. So the funeral would be small and simple. 

Toji was with the funeral staff, discussing the details of the burial and other things. Tsuna felt a kind of soreness crawling up his limbs. He slid down the wall and curled himself tighter to Megumi, who was soundly asleep. 

“Hey, kid! You’re the one that sometimes follows Zenin around aren’t you?” A man in a black suit approached him from the other end of the hall. He had short black hair and a thin mustache on his upper lip, kind of like a catfish.

Tsuna knew this man. Well, at least he recognized his face. The man was a mediator or agent of some sort that connected Toji-san to his jobs. 

He couldn’t quite recall the man’s name though. Even though Toji-san took him to a lot of indecent places over the years, the older man had never actually let him get too close to anyone from the other side. They don’t exchange names and Tsuna always wore an oversized hoodie plus a face mask.

Today might be an exception.

“I don’t think Toji-san is in the mood to accept a job right now.” He got up and glanced down to make sure the man hadn’t woken Megumi.

“I’m not here about that.” The man toned his volume down when he saw the baby in Tsuna’s arms. “He gave me a call asking me to refer him to a good graveyard. I came to pick up my referral pay.”

“Toji-san is alive and well physically. Thank you for being concerned.” He didn’t have to come in person to get his money. Tsuna studied the man, maybe on a very superficial level there was something that resembled concern on his face. 

The man took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He didn’t light it though. 

“That’s Megumi you’re holding right? Are you two going to be ok?” 

Tsuna rocked Megumi gently when he noticed the baby was starting to stir from his sleep. “It will be alright, Mister.”

“Are you sure? It’s not my place to ask but Zenin’s not exactly the—”

“It will be alright,” Tsuna interrupted him harshly. His voice was a bit high as he held his tears back. 

The man looked like he wanted to say something but Toji-San appeared behind him.

“Hey, stay away from the brat.” 

Toji has one hand on the other man’s shoulder. He was in all black and he was still wearing the slippers that he ran out of the house with. 

The man frowned as he buckled slightly. Toji’s grip was probably too strong for him to handle. His cigarette dropped to the ground as he shooked Toji’s hand off. “Zenin, you—” he started.

But Toji wasn’t in the mood to listen. He took out a few bills from his wallet and slapped them on the other man’s chest. “Here’s your pay. Thanks for your service.”

Toji eyed Tsuna silently. His lips quivered as if he was about to speak but just before he did, his gaze found Megumi. The muscles in his jaw tensed then with his hands in his pockets, Toji turned and left without another word. 

Tsuna sighed. He nodded to the mediator and bid him farewell. 

The ride back to Toji’s place was silent. Even after they had arrived, Toji still said nothing. He merely got changed into some more formal clothing and left the house.

Toji-san didn’t come back that evening.

Tsuna patted Megumi’s back after he finished feeding him. He wasn’t all that great with taking care of a baby but Yuu left some really detailed notes about everything a baby needed. The young child burped then squirmed as if searching for the familiar scent of his mother. He cried, completely unaware of the tragedy that fell upon his parents. 

“It’s alright, Megumi,” Tsuna comforted as he held the child in his arms. He was standing in the baby room. The place had been decorated and the baby crib was painted green. Yuu had picked the color since it reminded her of Toji-san’s eyes. Toji-san had painted it and even baby proofed the entire apartment one afternoon while Tsuna and Yuu ordered him around. "This wasn’t right." "That wasn’t soft enough." It was fun.

Of course Toji-san complained.

But he complied with their every word.

Tsuna was glad that he told Nana he’d be away for the whole weekend and she completely bought his lie about the sleepover. He didn’t have to go back and try to come up with another sad excuse as to why he won’t be home. 

Now, he wasn’t worried that Toji wouldn’t come home. He knew where Toji and Yuu stashed their emergency funds and where they kept all the important documents. 

Most importantly, he knew Toji-san.

On Sunday night, Tsuna made some home remedy hangover cure that he had seen Yuu cooked before. It smelled strange and looked like it was blessed by Satan or a special graded cursed spirit. Tsuna wasn’t sure how Toji could swallow this without blinking an eye.

A quarter to midnight, Toji came back drunk. He smelled like a weird mix of expensive perfume and cheap cigarettes. His dress shirt was wrinkled and there was probably some blood stain on his sleeves. The stink of alcohol filled Tsuna’s nostrils, which made him want to gag a little. 

“Toji-san,” he greeted from far away. “Welcome home.”

“You’re still here,” the older man huffed. His voice still sounded sober enough. Tsuna guessed that with how Toji’s body worked, it would be hard for the man to get completely drunk in the first place.

“Where else would I be?”

Toji laughed but it was filled with emotions that Tsuna couldn’t quite understand. He waited on the sofa while Toji-San went to clean himself up. The man came out half naked with a towel around his neck and sweatpants hanging loosely around his waist. Water dripped from the end of his hair and trailed down the muscles on his torso. He finished the hangover remedy Tsuna made in a few large glurps.

He came closer, casting a shadow over Tsuna’s small frame. Tsuna couldn’t read the other’s expression as he stood against the light. He didn’t resist when strong arms picked him up from his spot though. The skin underneath him was warm. Tsuna relaxed in the other’s embrace as they went over to the baby room.

Toji stood beside the crib, staring down at Megumi’s sleeping form. After what feels like an eon, the man finally reached one hand out to scoop the baby out. He carried them both to the master bedroom and the three of them shared a bed with Megumi in the middle. 

Tsuna patted Megumi softly while Toji extended his arm over both Tsuna and Megumi. 

“She told me to tell you sorry and asked me to take care of Megumi,” Toji spoke in the dark. His voice was hoarse and Tsuna couldn’t see his expressions. It was alright though, for Tsuna could feel the other’s hand on the back of his neck gently.

“You know what I was thinking when they told me the news?” Toji continued even though his voice was barely above a whisper, “I thought...I thought that if I had cursed energy then maybe...just maybe, I can curse her and some part of her will still be with us. If I refused her death then...fuck it, what was I even thinking. All of this is just wild wishes when I’ve got nothing. I’m just a monkey like the majority of those walking meat bags filling the streets everyday.”

There was a pause. Tsuna waited as he placed a hand on Toji’s chest and wormed closer. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with Megumi,” the man finally admitted. “He’s...so small and fragile. He’s not you. When we first met, you were already running and talking on your own.”

“We’ll figure something out,” he promised. “I will help because Toji is a terrible role model and completely helpless when it comes to being normal. Just a heads up, carrying a baby under your arm like you did with me when I was little is a big no no. And there’s no way I am ever letting you leave your weapon storage alone with Megumi. It tried to swallow me the first time we met.”

“You nag more than Yuu did,” Toji’s words were lined with something that could almost be categorized as fondness. 

“Good night, Toji-san.” Tsuna whispered as he closed his eyes. “Good night, Megumi.”

He was tired. Between processing the news of Yuu’s death and taking care of a baby that was only a few months old, Tsuna was too tired to even think straight anymore. All he could focus on was the heat besides him and Megumi’s soft breathing right beside his ear.

They will deal with whatever was to come in the morning.


	4. Tsuna & The Fushiguros - 1

03  
Fushiguro Toji started his Saturday morning with a routine workout. While he might saunter through women like they were a change of clothing, he still did some work to kept up his physique and assassination skills. 

You never know when an enticing job offer might pop up and he had never been one to turn down money. He spent his pay freely, on women, on weird things he thought was cool, on alcohol and cigarettes. He doesn’t hate how he was living since he has more freedom to do whatever he desired than the mundane crowd that littered the streets. 

Too bad Tsuna doesn’t share the same view. 

“Morning, Toji-San.” The young teen crouched down to greet him. 

Toji was flipped upside down since he was in a handstand position. He stopped midway through his pushup and smiled. “Morning.” 

“There’s miso soup for breakfast today.”

Toji could see his own reversed reflection in the brunet’s large brown eyes. Thirteen years old Tsunayoshi still had a slimmer frame than most of his peers. He only came up to about Toji’s chest when he stood straight. Even though Toji had dragged him on a few training sessions, the effects weren’t reflecting very well on the teen’s body. He guessed it had something to do with genetics. Toji had seen Sawada Nana from afar a few times before and the petite woman didn’t pack a lot of muscles either. 

He flipped back down and patted the shorter teen’s spiky brown hair. Tsuna rolled his eyes and swatted the man’s hand away, mumbling about the sweat. 

Rice, miso soup, grilled salmon, some tsukemono, and tamago eggs were set out on the dining table. Toji placed the fish in his mouth. It wasn’t bad but not exceptional either. 

Tsuna didn’t really have to go through the trouble learning how to cook. Toji thought his own cooking was tolerable, even if he only knew how to make a handful of dishes. While he wasn’t a picky eater, his enhanced senses made it easy for him to detect any trace problems in the ingredients and seasoning. The problem was, now they had to account for two toddlers’ diets so having curry or take-out for all three meals for a few days in a row wasn’t going to cut it anymore. And Tsuna doesn't trust him enough to let him be in charge of the cooking.

In a sense, the kid wasn’t wrong.

“Where’s Tsumiki’s mom?” Tsuna suddenly asked when he came out from the children’s room with Megumi. 

The question startled Toji a little. Truth to be told, he hadn’t seen his wife in a while after they had a fight. He forgot what the fight was about, probably women or work. He never actually told her what he did for a living anyways. How long has it been since then? A month? Two months? He stopped counting. 

“Who knows.” Toji shrugged as an answer.

Tsuna gave him a knowing look and his eyes blatantly stated how much of a trashy husband he thought he was. But the kid never spoke a word against it or asked what happened. 

Toji guessed a small part of it was because Tsuna didn’t know what a normal relationship between a married couple should look like either. His own father had become one with the stars, if Toji recalled correctly. Tsuna hadn’t seen the man in years and only when he dug hard enough, very faintly, there was this shadow of a tall man with blonde hair in his memory. 

Still, the fact that he never asked questions. He didn’t _need_ to ask questions.That was what Toji liked about having Tsuna around. The boy accepted him, everything and whole-heartedly. 

Before him, Tsuna sighed, “Megumi, please don’t turn out like your idiot father.” 

The toddler in the teen’s arms mumbled a few incoherent syllables as he dozed off. Tsuna felt a light tug on the hem of his apron, which caused him to look down and found a little girl in her light orange pajamas holding onto his leg. Her black hair was tied in a messy and loose ponytail.

“Morning, Tsumiki.”

“Tsuna~” She reached her hands out to him. He took her hand and led her to the dining table, where Toji was already seated. The man helped her into a child’s seat while Tsuna sat down with Megumi still in his arms. 

“How’s school going?” Toji asked. “You are still ‘No good Tsuna’?”

“School sucks,” Tsuna complained loudly as he spoon fed Megumi. “I got hit by a basketball in the face the other day because there was level four running around the court. The other kids think I tripped over my own feet when I tried to catch it.”

“You could have ignored it.”

He hummed but shook his head. “Somebody else could get hurt if I just let it roam free.”

Toji snorted, the kid still had too much of a heart. He didn’t mind it but sometimes, just sometimes, he felt like smacking that sense of justice and kindness out of the kid to save him the trouble of being made fun at. Still, just like how Tsuna doesn’t ask questions, Toji doesn’t mock him for trying to help others, even if there was no reward at the end for it. He took Megumi from Tsuna and fed the boy so Tsuna could eat in peace. 

“I don’t get why people still call me No good Tsuna,” Tsuna kept on ranting between bites. “I mean, yeah I was a slow learner and fumbled a lot when I was younger. But I got better now...and incidents with cursed spirits aren’t even a routine thing! My grades might not look pretty but that’s not what defines someone, isn’t it? I guess the nickname just stuck.”

“You know what they say, first impressions are important.” Toji laughed when he saw how the teen looked absolutely done with his school life. “Tsuna, are you staying over tonight?”

The teen cocked his head to the side with a deadpan look. “If I stay, Toji-San will go out and drink all night wouldn’t you?”

“Nah, sometimes it’s more relaxing to drink at home. Remember to make something good that goes with beer for dinner.”

“You could have at least tried to pretend to be a good father in front of Megumi and Tsumiki.” Tsuna pointed to the two toddlers, who looked at him with questioning eyes when they heard their names being mentioned.

“I gave you all of my commission from my last job, didn’t I? It’s more than enough to cover expenses for at least a few months.” His reputation in the underground society got him a real god pay rate, especially considering the type of jobs he took. 

“A father is more than just an ATM, Toji-San.”Tsuna got up and took Megumi from the man. 

Toji cracked a smile. “Tsunayoshi is so strict. You’re no fun.” 

He locked the teen in a choke hold from behind. Of course, he wasn’t serious and his positioning was off. However, it was enough to make it complicated for Tsuna to stand or hold Megumi properly.

“Shoot—Let me go! I’m going to drop Megumi!”

“It’s alright. A fall or two won’t kill a Jujutsu Sorcerer.”

The teen elbowed him in the guts for the callous words. Toji blocked it easily while laughing at how Tsuna was scrambling to get out from under him and balance Megumi at the same time. 

He did grab the boy by the ankle before he actually dropped to the ground. The action might have made Megumi uncomfortable since he started crying. Then, as if setting off a chain reaction, the crying became contagious as Tsumiki started sobbing too. She had watched in horror along with Tsuna as her brother descended through the air. 

Toji scratched his head with his free hand but flipped his son upright. Tsuna snatched Megumi from the man and started checking the kid for any damages. Tsumiki hid behind him, with tears rolling down her face while her cheeks were painted a pale red.

“You’re the worst, Toji-San.”

To which, he only grinned.

# 

Tsuna set the two kids down for their naps. They were sound asleep in the bedroom and Toji got ordered to do the laundry. While the washer was running, Toji sat down in the living room and lit a cigarette. 

“Want to try it?” He offered the burning cigarette to Tsuna. 

The teen stared at him for a moment in silence. Finally, he took the cigarette and placed it in his mouth. One inhale and Tsuna started coughing as if he had just set his lungs on fire. The white smoke made his features look hazy and there were tears threatening to fall from the rims of his eyes. Toji laughed as he took it back. 

“Toji-San,” Tsuna called softly as he leaned his head on the man’s shoulder. “What you said earlier about Megumi...”

“Oh yeah,” Toji cutted him off as he breathed out a puff of smoke. “The kid has talent.”

The words that came out of his lips seemed to have pained Tsuna. His fingers twisted the edge of his shirt. Toji scuffed while he focused his gaze on the orange ambers burning away the cigarette.

He only found out a few days ago himself when Megumi pointed out a cursed spirit inside a shop they were passing by. The boy could see and Toji felt his world come to a screeching halt. What had he felt then? All he knew was that it was as if viscous shadows had gripped his heart, tangled themselves to his limbs as they pulled him down.

This was his son they were talking about. 

_His_ son.

His son was gifted with the one thing he lacked, the sole reason for why his family had shunned and denied him for all these years. The monkey had a child with such talent it would make any self-respecting sorcerer from the big three families jealous. 

His eyes wandered to the pictures on the wall. There was one where he was holding Megumi. He saw the striking resemblance—the black hair and green eyes. Even with their features, they would be nearly identical replicas when Megumi grows up a bit more. A perfect version of himself that would have a bright and aspiring future as a Jujutsu Sorcerer loved by the Zenins.

Yet whenever he stared into the boy’s eyes, all he could see was how innocent he looked. He knew nothing of traditions and the pain that followed Toji’s childhood. He didn’t understand how valuable he was, how far the Zenins would be willing to go to protect him and keep him in the family.

The same will never be done for Toji.

Toji sucked in another heavy breath filled with the scent of tobacco. He could finally place what the tightness in his chest was when he first realized Megumi’s talent. 

It was resentment.

And it made him want to puke.

The older man ignored Tsuna’s tensed body and wrapped an arm around the teen. “I plan to talk to the old man about it,” he said easily with his fingers tangled within the soft brown locks. “The main branch gave birth to twins and I heard one of the girls can’t even see cursed spirits. Those dying geezers think it is a bad omen. They’d be desperate for a successor. I might be able to get a 7 or 8 if he’s got an inherited technique.” 

“Toji-San,” Tsuna croaked uneasily. His voice was meek as he grabbed the front of Toji’s shirt. 

“Of course we will have to wait until he is at least four or five to see what will manifest exactly. The price might go down a bit if the girls develop something good first.”

“Don’t say that, please.”

“That place was a shithole for me but it should be bearable since he’s got potential.”

“Stop it.”

“When the deal is complete, I’m thinking of moving somewhere closer to Tokyo. You said there weren’t many good places to watch cherry blossoms in Namimori, didn’t you? Let’s find a place close to the biggest cherry blossom tree we can find.”

“Stop!”

Tsuna pushed the man off and stood up to face him properly. His face was pale and his fists trembled. Toji knew his words probably hurted the teen. Still, he opened his mouth again.

“What? It’s not like it matters anymore.”

“Toji-San,” Tsuna inhaled a deep breath as his eyes locked onto the older man’s. “I’m still here. Even if you don’t think it matters anymore, I do.”

“Why? The kid would get a hell lot more if he goes with the old bastards. It’d be a waste of talents if he stuck out with people like us that have no idea how to teach him jujutsu.” That part wasn’t a lie. The Zenins would pour everything they had to raise Megumi.

“That had never been a concern when Megumi was first born.” Tsuna reminded him coldly. “Besides, if you give Megumi over to the Zenins, Tsumiki would be thrown in as a freebie won’t she? We both know very well how the Zenins treat people without powers. Even if she’s not your biological daughter, she still did nothing to deserve that kind of life.”

“That’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Yuu was my friend too.” It was the first time the teen had brought up the name since her death. It surprised Toji but also made him go silent. Any words or persuasion he had thought of was thrown out the window as soon as that name came up. Tsuna continued, “I can’t just sit down and watch her son get thrown into fire because my other friend is an idiot trying to run from his problems.”

The man pursed his lips. He wanted to get up and leave. Why not? He had done it so many times already. He left the Zenin Clan, he left countless women...he never stayed in one place for too long and it had never bothered him before. He would even have a perfectly good excuse this time: he didn’t want to hear a lecture on how his dead wife would be disappointed in him and such. 

“It hasn’t been easy Toji-San. We were scrambling and running around like headless chickens trying to take care of Megumi during the first few months. I know I have no legal or biological relations to Megumi or Tsumiki but that doesn’t mean I can’t care.”

The hand Toji used to hold the cigarette trembled slightly. 

_That was cheating, Tsuna._

Tsuna would never tell him what Yuu would want him to do. They weren’t going to fight about what could have been, what should have been, or anything along those lines either. Tsuna knew he wasn’t Yuu. He never will be able to say what she would want or thought was best. Tsuna couldn’t make those statements for her. No,Toji knew all too well that Tsuna could never do something like that.

But he can speak for himself.

“I haven’t said anything about Toji-San’s choices in women or work.” The older man had been taking on jobs from the mediators periodically. He doesn’t do it as often but the jobs are getting more and more dangerous. “Because this is Toji-San’s life and I won’t try to dictate what you should or shouldn’t be doing. I’m prepared to be the one to collect your corpse if you get ambushed in a dark alley at night but I don’t want to expect the same for Megumi.” 

The teen didn't falter even as his voice cracked slightly.

“Jujutsu Sorcerers, shamans, cursed spirits...they die and they watch their comrades die...that is not an easy and fun life. Megumi should have a choice as to if he wants to carry that weight on his shoulders, Toji-San. The Zenins wouldn’t give him one.”

“You say that like the kids are guaranteed to be happy with me.”

“True, you’re not exactly father of the year,” Tsuna agreed with a nod. There was a rare kind of confidence in his expression as he stood before Toji. “But I won’t let you sell your children just like that. Megumi might have inherited talent and blood but that doesn’t mean he has to be a sorcerer. The Zenins tried to push their beliefs on you and you hated every single second of it. Don’t do the same to Megumi.”

Toji lowered his head and shielded his eyes with his hand. 

“You’re not going to back off on this aren’t you, Sawada Tsunayoshi?” He hadn’t called the teen by his full name in a very long time. 

“I stand by my words.” He covered his own smaller hand on Toji’s. “I am still here, Toji-San. I always will be.”

His words retrieved a distant memory within Toji. The teen’s serious expression before him superimposed upon the young child who made the same promise to him all those years ago back at the Zenin Clan.

The cigarette had burnt all the way to the end already but Toji only crushed it with his hand, with complete disregard for the heat. Toji grabbed Tsuna. Pulling the teen into a hug. 

They stay in that position for a while, with only the sound of the clock ticking in the background. 

He doesn’t know how long had passed before Tsuna asked, “Megumi stays?”

“For now,” the man gave a muffled response as he pressed his head into the other’s chest. “For now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah...Toji's relationship with Megumi will probably stay complicated. Personally, I have a hard time seeing them bonding like a normal pair of father and son. 
> 
> Also, we're finally getting into the plot for KHR in the next chapter! In comes Reborn!


	5. Reborn - 1

04

The world’s greatest hitman, Reborn, recently accepted a job from the current head of the Vongola Family, Timoteo. It wasn’t the usual assasination request. No, instead it was for him to forge a Japanese child named Sawada Tsunayoshi into a suitable heir to the Vongola name.

Reborn flipped through the paper files with a cup of espresso in his hand. The reports on the mother looked normal enough. She was kind of an airhead who loved her family very much. There weren’t any problems with the neighbors, even if they do whisper about the missing husband behind her back. Sawada Nana was a cheerful person well loved by the community (and even pitied upon by some of the other housewives). She wouldn’t pose much of a problem to his mission. 

As for the son—Reborn’s real target—he was quiet and average. Some might even say he was a disastrous collection of clumsiness and bad luck. His grades were not stellar, his lack of athleticism made gym a nightmare, and he didn’t have many friends. Perhaps, he didn’t have _any_ decent friends at all. At least, from what the Vongola spies gathered, the teen spent more time hanging around the mountain trails behind Namimori Elementary than going out with people his age. There are reports of him skipping school and how he was teased by his peers for cowering even at the slightest of rustling leaves. The most unique thing within the reports was how he was a failure to the point where there were countless tales to backup that nickname “Dame-Tsuna”. 

The moment Reborn actually set his eyes on Sawada Tsunayoshi face-face, he knew it was going to take a lot of work on his part to produce satisfying results for his client. The boy had a timid and weary look and his messy brown hair only made his face look smaller than his actual age. His body was frail and short, with a slender form that matched his thin wrists. 

The main problem, however, was with his eyes. 

They contained nothing that was grounded. It was as if the boy was watching this world through a different set of lens, one that caused everything to feel ethereal. He had sealed his world in a translucent bubble that was closed off to everyone else.

Vongola Nono really did give him a tough job. Still, Reborn wouldn’t be the best in the world if he gave up so easily. 

Minutes ago Reborn had watched Tsuna wake up late, scrambled through his morning routine then threw on his uniform in a hurry. While he hadn’t tripped over his own feet or banged any part of his body on a hard surface, he was still a disheveled mess.

“I tried to wake you, Tsu-Kun.” Nana shook her head. “Why did you stay up so late anyways? And I know you weren’t studying, Mr. Sawada Tsunayoshi who got a 27 on his last math test.”

In her hand, there was an exam marked with a red pen. 

“Where did you get that? I thought I hid them!” the teenager yelped with surprise and the horror of getting caught. He reached out and snatched the paper, shoving it into the desk of his drawer then 

His mother suddenly clasped her hands together. “Oh that’s right! I got this flyer in the mail today. A home tutor should be coming today.”

“A tutor?” Tsuna looked horrified as he turned to his mother in rigid motions. “I don’t need a tutor. Really, that’s not necessary!”

“Well, I already called them and the flyer promised they will raise you to be a leader of the next generation! It looked interesting and I have never seen a promotion like this before.”

Tsuna opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “That sounds 200% like a scam!”

Reborn dropped his binoculars. It was time for him to show up. 

“Ciaossu,” he greeted while appearing in the teen’s bedroom. As he did, he studied the layout of the room. There was a lot to be said from the way one kept their personal spaces. They spoke about one’s passions, their personalities, their dislikes, and even gave clues to the way the owners think. Reborn was also relatively experienced in picking out these traits within a matter of seconds. 

But something about this particular room threw him off.

There wasn’t a lot of clutter. In fact, there wasn’t much of anything at all. Besides the bedroom furniture, there were only a few scattered manga books and stationary on the table. On the far side, there was a gaming console that looked like it was barely touched. It didn’t feel like a typical teenager’s room. It was also too neat and organized to belong to the boy in the profile Vongola gave him.

His actions must have startled the two because Tsuna backed away and bumped into his mother. They stumbled away from Reborn. 

“Oh,” Nana said with a hand on her mouth in surprise. “Where did this little fellow come from?” 

“I am Reborn, the home tutor.”

Silence befall upon them. Reborn saw the surprise in Nana’s eyes and the twisted struggle upon Tsuna’s face. 

“This is a joke,” the teen turned to his mother and stated bluntly. He gestured to Reborn. “This is a baby. How could he be a tutor? I told you the flyer was a scam.”

Just before Reborn jumped up to kick the teen in the stomach, Tsuna stepped behind his mother and hurried out the door.

“Ahhh! I’m going to be late!” he screamed while thumping down the stairs and racing out of the house. 

Reborn frowned. The boy had stepped into a bad angle for him to land a kick at the last minute. But it couldn’t be more than mere luck that had saved Tsuna, for Iemitsu had personally assured Reborn that his son hadn’t taken any martial arts training at all since he was born. 

Could it just be a coincidence then?

He shook his head and quickly got caught up with the teen on the street. 

“Why are you following me?” Tsuna asked with twitching lips. He looked completely done with having a toddler following him around but there was no anger or impatience in his words. 

“I’m your home tutor, Dame-Tsuna. I have to learn about your relationships with your peers to train you better.”

“I don’t know where you learned that nickname but it’s not nice to call people names.” Tsunayoshi rubbed his temple in frustration and groaned. “Ok, I don’t know what I did to piss off the universe lately but I am not in the mood for this. Look, I will take you to the police station afterschool alright? Do you know your parent’s names or phone numbers? Or is there a daycare center you’re supposed to be in?”

“I am a hitman. I don’t go to daycare centers.”

There was a pause. A strange delay accompanied by a twitch of fingers as Tsuna turned his head towards him. His expression was a mix of confusion and disbelief as he questioned, “...You're what now?”

“A hitman.” Reborn stated with all the confidence in the world. To be honest, Tsuna was handling things better than he thought. He had originally imagined some more pointless screaming and hair pulling. “I was hired by a certain someone to make you a great mafia boss.”

“A-A mafia boss? You have got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not,” Reborn held out a silver gun and aimed it directly at the teen’s forehead. They could both hear the safety clicking off and tension thicken between them. “Would you like me to shoot you once as proof?”

Tsuna stayed silent as he stared at the gun threatening his life. Finally, he said drily, “It’s rude to point these kinds of toys in people’s faces.” 

The killer noted the strange awkwardness in his response. Although Tsuna recovered quickly, there was a split second of struggle that shouldn’t have been there. 

“It’s not a toy.”

“Yeah, and I’m not Dame-Tsuna either.” There was something odd about the tone of his voice. Tsuna waved the gun out of his face without blinking an eye. “Go home, ok? It’s not safe for a kid so young to be wandering the streets alone.”

Either the boy was real dense or he really believed Reborn was holding nothing but a toy. Both were not suitable if Tsuna was to survive in the mafia world. 

“Kyaaa~” A girl’s voice came from around the corner. Reborn put his gun away when the girl with light brown hair bent down to greet him. It was ill-fitting for an Italian man to be rude to a lady. 

Also, Reborn noticed Tsuna’s body tensed when she got close. Upon closer inspection, she was a beautiful girl. One that looked like she had a kind heart and a warming smile. 

“How cute! Why are you in a suit?” 

“Because I’m part of the mafia,” he answered while still focusing half his attention on Tsuna, who looked like he was praying for the girl to hurry up and leave. 

“That’s cool!” she complimented with a big smile. “Bye-bye.”

Reborn and Tsuna watched her leave. When she was out of sight, Tsuna let out a breath of relief. 

“Who was that, Dame-Tsuna?”

“Don’t call me Dame-Tsuna.” The boy scratched his head. “That’s Sasawaga Kyoko, the school idol.” 

“Do you have a crush on her?”

“What?” A hint of surprise flashed across his face. “Of course not. She’s nice and all but I’m not interested.”

It wasn’t a lie. Reborn could tell from the way Tsuna spoke. There hadn’t been a single trace of desire or stutter in his words. His gaze was clear too, unfaltering and straightforward without so much of a pinch of diffidence. 

A near empty bedroom.

No friends.

No love interest.

No obvious hobbies or passion. 

Sawada Tsunayoshi was starting to feel like a ghost, one that drifted through the nameless crowd unnoticed. An invisible apparition wandering between the shadows, watching and observing...but never interacting. 

Meaning, there was nothing that would motivate him. 

Reborn tilted his hat lower, casting a shadow over the majority of his face. He didn’t like how things were looking one bit.

#

Namimori middle school has had its fair share of ups and downs. It was a school after all, and when young adolescents gather in large numbers you were bound to get _some_ trouble. 

Not even Hibari-Senpai’s presence can completely eliminate that. 

Mochida Kensuke, the dark-haired kendo captain, grabbed the collar of Tsuna’s shirt as he snarled. “Hey, you! You bumped into Kyoko and you think you can get off with just a ‘sorry’?”

“I-I didn’t mean to,” the brown-haired boy protested in a quiet voice against the male school idol.

“Mochida-Senpai, I’m fine really. There was no harm done.” Kyoya tried to stop the older boy but the kendo captain only looked at her with worry in his eyes. There was anger too, but more so that it was directed at the brunet. She didn’t know what she should do. She knew that conflict was inevitable with Mochida flaring and puffing his chest out like an animal preparing for its mating ritual. She didn’t like it. She didn’t understand it. 

Yet there was nothing she could say that would reach through his dense head. 

“Kyoko is too nice. For all we know this shrimp here might have done it on purpose just so he could get a feel of you.” His words made Kyoko’s skin crawl with goosebumps. 

Other students also voiced their opinions out loud. Some of them were worried about Kyoko, some were cheering on Mochida for his ‘manly act’, others were simply adding oil to fire. They followed as Mochida dragged Tsuna’s helpless form into the gym. The kendo captain pointed a wooden sword at the shaking teen.

“You think you could get away with something disgusting like that? Even if the heavens forgive you, I won’t! I’ll crush you loser!” he threatened. 

“Mochida-Senpai—” Tsuna tried to start but his plea was overwhelmed by the cheers from the crowd.

“Silence! I challenge you to a duel, Dame-Tsuna. But since you are a novice at kendo, as long as you can get an ippon on me then you win. But if you can’t, I win!” Mochida announced loudly. “The prize of course, is Sasagawa Kyoko.”

“Can Dame-Tsuna actually do it?”

“No way, he’s such a loser he’d probably wet his pants!”

“Who cares? Just fight already!” 

Tsuna stood alone, in the center surrounded by all those prying eyes and cruel laughs. The pointing fingers casted long shadows across the field, nearly making it seem like they were going to jab into the slim boy’s back. 

Reborn smirked. His plan of riling up the hot-headed kendo captain was working perfectly. It would be a small test since he hadn’t found another opportunity to activate Tsuna’s flames. The opponent was a civilian and there was a good chance of Tsuna winning against him with the help of a dying will bullet. The win would help build his confidence, even if he doesn’t the act of willing to go all out instead of running should help crack open even a little of the boy’s shell.

Now let’s see how much potential the boy has actually got.

Dame-Tsuna flinched slightly with his head low while the gathering crowd clamoured on. They expected him to run, to avoid the trouble by using the “he needed the washroom excuse”. He was “useless” after all, a good for nothing class clown that always runs away from a fight the first chance he gets. Only, Tsuna didn’t do any of those things.

He lifted his head. 

“That is,” Tsuna started in a monotone but he stared right into Mochida’s eyes, “absolute bullshit.”

From his hiding spot, Reborn raised an eyebrow at that. The crowd of students also looked surprised at the teen’s bold words. 

“Sasagawa-San,” Tsuna called the girl’s name out loud despite Mochida’s murderous glare. He turned to her but there was nothing in his eyes again. No fear, no anxiety, no adoration, nothing. “I won’t be fighting for the right to win you because you’re not a prize to be given or won. I’m sorry I bumped into you but this is not my battle.”

His gaze, Reborn wasn’t sure how to describe it. They were...different. Like a mirror that only revealed the rawest core in people. One look into them and it feels as if you were standing face to face with your own soul. 

The girl stood stunned while Tsuna faced Mochida. “Mochida-Senpai, I’m not the villain the hero has to defeat to get the girl. I don’t want to fight you.”

“Running away again? I guess Dame-Tsuna will always be a coward. But you won’t get out of this so easily!” Mochida pointed his sword at Tsuna. “Come on, raise your sword and I shall smite you!”

Tsuna shrieked quietly. In that moment, he was the timid and scared teen again. Still, he sighed and picked up the sword on the ground. Cheers erupted from their audience. 

“Get him, Mochida-Senpai!” the fangirls screamed.

“Dame-Tsuna’s done for.”

“He won’t last more than a minute.”  
The battle began. Mochida took a strike but Tsuna dodged it while yelping and screaming. It wasn’t looking like a proper kendo match since Tsuna was running around everywhere. Dodging, ducking, slipping and stumbling to avoid his opponent’s attacks. 

“Stop running and face me properly like a man!”

“Run, Dame-Tsuna! Oh this is way too good!”

“Well, he’s actually not doing so bad.”

“It’s because he’s doing the one thing he knows how to do best—Run!”

The crowd didn’t stop with their commentary. The whole gym was a laughing mess as the two played tag.

 _Time to get the real show going._

Reborn held his gun tight and aimed.

On the field, Tsuna tripped and slipped into a forward lounge. Fear and panick twisted his features as Mochida closed in on him. 

“I’ll finish you with this strike!” Mochida had victory glistening on his lips as he charged. 

The shot was fired. The bullet flew through the air, flowing perfectly on its trajectory towards its target.

However, Reborn felt his mouth opened slightly when his eyes registered what happened next.

The bullet missed.

It grazed into the gym’s polished wooden floor the same time as Tsuna shut his eyes tight and swung the sword. Perhaps the sword was too heavy, then his flapping arms caused him to lose balance. The sword slipped out of his sweating grip and knocked into Mochida’s face. Mochida fell backwards, his head hitting the ground and knocking him unconscious. 

But Tsuna didn’t win either. His legs trembled from exhaustion and he was half kneeling on the ground with a hand over his right shoulder. Mochida’s strike must have landed a direct hit.

“It’s a tie!” the referee shouted before scrambling to check up on Mochida. 

The crowd was silenced with shock. 

“No Good Tsuna actually tied with Mochida-Senpai?” someone murmured slowly, as if those words would poison them. 

“I can’t believe it!”

The whole gym started rioting. They mouthed their disbelief, their shock...but no one tried to go up to Tsuna. 

On the field, Tsuna got up. He passed by Kyoko silently. There was struggle on the girl’s face and she tried to take a few steps towards him but Tsuna shook his head at her. He stepped outside the gym, then disappeared around the corner without much of any emotion.

Reborn looked down at his hands. His gun still shined beautifully under the light and there was not a single scratch on it. He curled his fingers, they worked normally. He checked his gun again. Everything was functional.

And that was precisely what was wrong.

Because he never missed.

#

After nightfall and everyone in the Sawada house was peacefully asleep, Reborn studied his new student. The darkness didn’t really bother him, he could see just as well as he could in broad daylight. A part of his thoughts was still lingering on the amateur kendo match from this afternoon. He wouldn’t say Tsuna had an impressive performance. 

But he will admit it was a surprising one. Basing off the report he got, he would never have thought those words and actions would come out of Tsuna so naturally like that. It was strange, as if the boy had suddenly broken through his bubble for a minute and the real him was speaking. He definitely felt more alive and animated than usual. 

If they had encountered each other under different circumstances, Reborn might muse over the boy’s sharp choice of words and how thorough he had been. He didn’t charge in head first to play the hero like most boys his age would want to do or agreed to a fight because he was agitated to do so. No, he actually understood what the root of the problem really was. He stayed calm through his peers’ jeering. 

However, right now this was nothing but another warning that this was one major problem that had to be dealt with immediately.

Something was off.

There were too many inconsistencies.

Reborn scanned his eyes over the teen, who was curled up on his bed. He looked natural. Relaxed and unaware like any other untrained civilian. Tsuna’s eyebrows knitted tightly together as his lips moved. Reborn took a step closer, allowing himself to better hear what was haunting Tsuna’s dreams. 

“...Megumi.”

Megumi? So there is a girl he liked? Reborn scratched his chin as he started running the list of girls that lived in the vicinity with that name. Oddly enough, he couldn’t remember anyone with such a name that had a connection to the teen. Now that was saying something. His memory was impeccable and he had gone through all of the boy’s social and familial networks with a fine toothed comb, even memorized the names of all the neighbours and their relatives, yet there was not a single “Megumi” that could possibly match the profile. 

The way Tsuna slept also made Reborn curious. It was as if the teen wasn’t used to sleeping alone. His arms were positioned at a weird angle, as if he was supposed to be holding something other than blankets. Also, his whole body was positioned close to the wall, leaving a large space of the bed unoccupied.

But that doesn’t make any sense. The reports never mentioned the teen fancying slumber parties (no one would invite him anyways) and the Sawadas slept in different rooms. There weren’t any stuffed animals or pets in the house either…

Interesting. Very interesting indeed.

Combine that with how Tsuna had managed to get a tie with Mochida and even dodged Reborn’s dying will bullet, everything that happened today was screaming at the hitman that something was definitely wrong with Sawada Tsunayoshi. Something even the Vongola spies and the CEDEF didn’t manage to catch. 

And Reborn was going to find out what it was. After all, he wasn’t the world’s number one assassin for nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few of the music that inspired me to write this story:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClYo0Dh0CDg&list=RDClYo0Dh0CDg&start_radio=1
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGC0mmM2DHg&list=RDClYo0Dh0CDg&index=8
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRauptdx_Is
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX_ViT4Ra7k
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MzfxBpOetQ


	6. Reborn - 2

05  
All weekend, Tsuna couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom crashing down on his shoulders. It was a disturbing tingling sensation that kept interfering with his daily functions and made him even more jumpy than usual. He couldn’t focus. He couldn’t quite categorize the feeling as something concrete exactly. He just _knew_ something was going to go bad. 

On Monday, Megumi got sick. The boy caught a cold but Toji-San went on a job. Tsuna stayed up late making sure the fever wouldn’t fry the boy’s brain and only made it back home around three in the morning. 

Consequently, he slept through his alarm.

As he hurried through the process of getting ready, he thought that this was it. This was why his sixth sense or whatever was screaming at him for the whole weekend. If he was late, he might run into Hibari-Senpai and the older teen will bite anyone who dares to defy the school rules (one minute late was still late) to death.

That was until the so-called “Home tutor” showed up inside his room. 

Tsuna felt invisible hands choked around his neck, crushing his windpipes as his body tensed. He moved quickly to his mother’s side and ‘accidentally’ bumped into her, pushing them both away from the strange figure in the middle of the room. 

If the years of watching jujutsu sorcerers and Toji-San at work had taught him anything then it was this: If anything that moves randomly popped into your space, you kill it then ask questions later.

But Tsuna couldn’t do that. Not when his mother was standing right behind him. So, he tried to focus his attention on studying the intruder. 

It—he—wore a black suit with a fedora hat that had an orange stripe. His eyes were large and pitched black. A yellow pacifier hung around his neck while his sideburns curled strangely. Physically speaking, there was no doubt that this was an infant around two years of age. 

The baby introduced himself as “Reborn”. 

Tsuna felt his heart sink to the pit of her stomach. His instincts were screeching—blaring even—at him. It didn’t take any effort for Tsuna to realize what was wrong with the seemingly innocent yet strange child standing before him. Reborn gave off the same aura as Toji-San did when he was on a job. Although it was slightly different, colder and contained just a tad less bloodlust, Tsuna knew the scent all too well. 

It was the scent of someone that had too much blood on their hands.

But that was a joke wasn’t it? How could a toddler that doesn’t look much older than Megumi or Tsumiki have murdered enough men to have such a strong presence? 

Unless, unless what stood before them was no human child. Tsuna quickly waved that thought out of his head. Impossible, Reborn didn’t feel like a cursed spirit or one that gained a physical body. He was human and made of flesh through and through...at least that was what Tsuna’s intuition said.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to get close to Reborn.

He managed to find an opening to escape, running out of the house while yelling about how he was going to be late (and he really was). 

Somehow he felt like he had escaped a terrible fate or pain but his relief didn’t last long when he realized Reborn had followed him out.

Reborn didn’t act like a child. He was quiet and his stare was piercing, as if he was trying to dissect Tsuna with just his gaze. His speech and manners so far had been mature enough, despite the words coming from such a young and childish voice.  
He tried, really, he tried to talk some sense into the kid. Tsuna wasn’t one that had time for playing house with a random child that invaded into his home under the guise of being a tutor. Especially not when his mere presence set off all the alarms inside Tsuna’s head and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up as if he was facing a high level cursed spirit.

His facade nearly shattered when he heard what Reborn had to say though. 

“I am a hitman. I don’t go to daycare centers.”

A hitman.

Just like Toji-San.

Was he here to kill Tsuna then? Sent by one of Toji-San’s rivals or someone that had a grudge against him? Tsuna swallowed his nervousness while the gears in his head turned as fast as they could.

No, if this strange infant wanted him dead he didn’t have to wait until they were out of the house. Tsuna also didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary around, which meant Reborn probably wasn’t a shikigami user.

Still, that doesn’t make him any less dangerous. 

Toji-San said anyone with the brawns can be a killer, but you would need brains too if you want to stay a live one. Tsuna didn’t want to bet his life on the off chance that this baby (maybe?) was bluffing. You couldn’t fake that kind of aura with just pretty words and a nice suit alone.

Since Reborn hadn’t brought up his real intentions or mentioned any links to Toji-San, Tsuna decided he would play dumb. Even if he might be risking the chance of letting the other explain how his cursed technique worked to get a power boost, it would still be better than spooking Reborn. He also hoped he had misheard or this was just a child that had been poisoned too deep by bad television.

“You are what now?”

“A hitman.” The answer made Tsuna groan internally. Reborn’s next explanation also didn’t help improve his mood. 

“I was hired by a certain someone to make you a great mafia boss.”

A mafia boss? Now this story was getting too absurd even for Tsuna. He tried to keep an indifferent mask on but on the inside he was starting to wonder if this was a delusional man shrunken into the form of a child due a cursed technique. 

Toji-San would probably find it hilarious.

“A-A mafia boss? You have got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not,” Reborn said and there was a gun in front of Tsuna’s face before he knew it. The infant still looked like a child, but he was all too serious for Tsuna’s liking. 

“Would you like me to shoot you once as proof?” the monster in a child’s skin asked with a smirk.

Tsuna stayed silent as he stared at the gun threatening his life. His mind was sent into a brief blank as he struggled to keep his body under control. Toji-San had a huge variety of weapons stored, both cursed and non-cursed of course. It wasn’t the first time he had been held at gunpoint and it had practically become a reflex for him to try to disassemble it.

But Sawada Tsunayoshi wouldn’t know how to take apart a toaster, let alone a gun.

He was supposed to be a normal teen. One that didn’t spend his free time polishing swords and daggers, messing with guns and rifles, or wrestling with cursed spirits to get it to spit out the dead body. So, he said to Reborn, “It’s rude to point these kinds of toys in people’s faces.” 

“It’s not a toy.” There was a hint of displeasure in Reborn’s voice. Tsuna wondered why. Hitmans don’t usually like other people knowing what they do.

“Yeah, and I’m not Dame-Tsuna either,” he quipped bitterly and waved the gun out of his face. _Yep, definitely a real gun._ He could feel the familiar cold sting from the metal on his skin. “Go home, ok? It’s not safe for a kid so young to be wandering the streets alone.”

Not that Tsuna was worried about the child. If anything, his intuition said that he should be more worried for the poor unfortunate soul that decided to mess with Reborn. Reborn hadn’t shot him and he didn’t feel any curse being casted upon him either. That was enough good news for Tsuna to conclude that the weird child probably didn’t want to kill him or his mom.

True, Reborn did ask some strange questions about Sasagawa Kyoko but Tsuna brushed it off. He would ask Toji-San if he knew there were any hits out for his head recently. They can probably scratch the Zenins off the list since they weren’t known to associate with non-sorcerers. If Reborn really was linked with the Shamans, then Toji-San might have to get busy to clean some of the trash out. 

For now though, he was more worried about avoiding Hibari-Senpai than anything else.

#

Mochida Kensuke was a damn slimy idiot with half a brain cell that probably worked on farts most of the time.

Tsuna was sure Reborn had a hand (and/or foot) in it. The fight, he meant. The battle that was riled up by the bystanders and a very hot-headed lovestruck teen. Mochida was just like the men Tsuna had seen in the bars that Toji-San frequented. They put on clothing from big brands they think would make them look cool, wore multiple types of precious metal to show off their wealth, and strutted about the place with complete disregard of how it would make other people feel. They push their advances, their ‘good intentions’ upon those around them without ever stopping to consider, even for a second, that it might not be what other people wanted.

Then they get mad when they get rejected.

_“Bunch of overconfident and self-serving pricks,” Tojji-San had whispered beside his ears since the bar’s music was loud. “They don’t know when to back down since they are living in their own perfect little illusions where they are the center of the world.”_

Tsuna had asked how to deal with people like them. What had Toji-San said then?

_”A good punch to the face always does the trick.”_

But this wasn’t his battle to fight. He was just an outsider who was unlucky enough to get dragged into Mochida’s pathetic courtship for Sasagawa’s attention. It wouldn’t do much good even if he bested Mochida in a fight. Mochida would still continue his advances on the poor girl until Sasagawa Kyoko actually put her foot down. 

She was the only one that would cause a permanent effect.

Besides, she was a person, not an object to be fought over. Sasagawa wasn’t and shouldn’t be anyone’s trophy. 

He only picked up the sword because it didn’t look like the kendo captain would ever rest until he did. Now, he wasn’t a complete novice to swords like most would believe. His favorite from Toji-San’s weapon inventory besides the firearms was actually a katana. The blade was sharp but it contained multiple hollowed out spaces and indentations that made it lighter so even he could handle it with ease. One strike and it would cause his opponent to bleed in buckets.

The fight was a joke. Toji-San would probably be disgusted and scold him for even bothering to dumb himself down to Mochida’s level by dragging the fight out. Yet Tsuna couldn’t shake the feeling that Reborn was watching...the creepy child was probably observing his performance from somewhere and Tsuna didn’t want to act too out of character and peak the other’s interest.

It wasn’t until he heard that familiar whistle of wind coming from behind him, Tsuna really started to panic. His world slowed down and his senses expanded. He could imagine the sleek metal cutting through the air, spearing towards his head with one goal.  


To kill. 

Tsuna lunged forward, throwing the rigged wooden sword towards Mochida, who was racing right at him. Without a weapon in hand, Tsuna was left wide open so he twisted his body to sway to the side but it wasn’t enough. The extra weight from the flying sword knocked the older teen unconscious while Tsuna dropped to the ground on his knees from the impact. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead as the crowd went silent from the shock that the kendo captain was down.

His schoolmates might be saying something but he couldn’t hear them. All he knew was that there was a small hole on the ground only a few centimeters away from him. Something silver was embedded within the wood and with nimble fingers, he unscrewed it out without anyone noticing.

And there was no mistake in what it was.

It was a bullet.

Someone just tried to shoot him.

Tsuna felt his heart pounding faster. The blood drained from his face as he held the bullet tight within his sweating palm. He knew exactly who had taken the shot—Reborn. The crazy baby had actually just tried to kill him!

Clenching his teeth, he got out of the gym and made his way to the shrine. It was hidden behind large trees and bushy leaves. The wood for the torri was moldy, causing spots of black and green to appear all over the pillars. Broken frames and trashed floor composed a majority of the shrine while grass grew freely through the cracks. Only, he merely took out a first-aid kit he had left there for emergencies and started fixing himself up. 

“Your taste in secret hideouts is terrible, Dame-Tsuna.”

The baby’s voice came from above him. Reborn was hanging down from the old wooden beam holding part of the roof up. He didn’t comment on the fight with Mochida. Instead, Tsuna felt like there was something this killer wanted to say to him.

Good. Because he had something he needed to check too. 

“Reborn,” he said while pushing the first aid box away. “Why are you here? Why are you targeting me?”

Tsuna was standing right in front of the mirror. If anything was to happen, he would jump into it and escape. Should Reborn try to follow him, he would only get trapped in the disoriented world within the mirror and keep the cursed spirit company forever. 

“I told you didn’t I? I am here to make you a great mafia boss.” Reborn shifted his head slightly. Tsuna noticed there was a green lizard type of animal crawling upon the edge. He would have dived right into the mirror then if he hadn’t realized it wasn’t cursed.  
Reborn dropped down in front of him, landing on the ground with ease. “I was assigned by the ninth generation boss of Vongola. He is getting old and he needs a suitable heir.”

“Why me? I would assume a mafia family would have a number of decent successors to choose from...at least that’s how it worked in the movies. Children of affairs and oof—”

Tsuna held a hand over his stomach, where Reborn had landed a direct hit. He bent forward, trying to contain the feeling that his guts had been twisted into a knot. 

“Wipe those thoughts out of your head. Vongola Nono isn’t that kind of a man. They did have heirs in line but the most qualified, Enrico, was shot. Matsumo drowned and the favorite child Federico turned into a pile of bones.” Reborn showed him a series of photos depicting the heirs’ terrible fates that made Tsuna slightly uncomfortable. “So the only qualified candidate left is you, who is a descendent of Vongola’s first boss that retired to Japan. You carry Vongola’s blood in your veins.”

“I have never heard about this before.” Tsuna frowned. He really didn’t like the idea of bloodlines and picking heirs just because they shared the same ancestor. That was when something hit him. “Wait, what about my dad then? Shouldn’t he also be a candidate? I mean, I think mom said something about him turning into one with the stars but she also said he was at the South Pole digging diamonds or whatnot...but he’s probably still alive out there right?”

“Your father is illegible.” 

That seemed like the only explanation he was going to get for the time being. But that alone told him a lot. First, his dad was alive. Second, the man probably was already connected to Vongola somehow. Maybe he worked for them or maybe he worked against them. 

“Well, I don’t want anything to do with the mafia. So you’re going to have to find someone else.”

With that, Tsuna left the shrine. He got enough from their conversation to know that Reborn wasn’t actually planning on killing him. Then something must be wrong with the bullet then. It might be like a cursed object and would cause some kind of effect once hit.

Whatever it was, he didn’t want to know.

#

Tsuna rubbed his injured shoulder with one hand. It probably won’t be a good idea to go over to the Fushiguros’ today. He was still wary of Reborn and honestly, Toji-San will definitely notice the bruising.

The sun was descending down the horizon and it painted the road home in a light yellowish orange color. When he passed by a field by the park, he saw the baseball team still practicing and a dark-haired teen hit a home run. His teammates cheered him on as he smiled at them.

 _Yamamoto was it?_ He was one of the popular ones. An athletic star whose father owned a sushi restaurant. The sushi was great so he would go get some to-go and take them to the Fushiguros occasionally.

Tsuna didn’t join any clubs. Taking care of two toddlers was enough work as it was. Top that off with house chores and training with Toji-San, he didn’t have time or energy for clubs or sports. When he could, he always headed straight to the shrine afterschool and stayed at Toji-San’s. The man had taken the mirror from the Zenins when he left. It wasn’t a particularly powerful artifact and so long as no one other than Toji-San or him touched it, it was going to be fine.

Toji wasn’t always there. Pachinko, horse races, bars, dates…whatever he was feeling like that day to satisfy his gambling urges. It was fine by Tsuna. In the past, it just meant he would have the whole apartment to himself and he could do whatever he wanted until Toji-San came back. Now, he has got Megumi and Tsumiki to keep company. 

Considering the risks, Toji-San’s job paid really well and so long as he doesn’t blow it on gambling, it was more than enough to let the four of them live very comfortably. Being still a teenager himself, Tsuna would stash the drawers with different kinds of treats. Manga books mixed with children’s stories took over the bookshelves while toys piled in a corner of the living room. Tsuna got into the habit of cleaning to prevent the two toddlers from injuring themselves around the house (meaning, not get stabbed on one of Toji-San’s swords).

Tsumiki was a kind soul and she would try to help as much as she could despite her young age. Speaking of which, he should probably let Toji-San know that he wasn’t coming today.

He texted the message over. Within a minute or two, his phone started ringing. 

“Toji-San,” he greeted as he slipped into his bedroom. Reborn wasn’t around and his mom was downstairs making dinner. 

“Tsuna,” Toji’s voice sounded a bit distorted by the sound of horse racing in the background. “Is something going on?”

“There’s a baby at my house. He wears a black suit and a fedora hat with this green lizard thing crawling on it. He’s not a sorcerer or cursed spirit but he gives me bad vibes.”

“Need me to come over?”

“Probably not,” Tsuna declined. He wouldn’t know how to introduce Toji-San to his mom especially when Reborn was still in the picture. “He will probably leave once he realizes I was not what he was looking for. I will see you this weekend but before then, please don’t forget you still got a son and daughter waiting for you.”

“They will be fine on their own for a night or two.”

“Toji-San,” he dragged the syllables out, each one slowing gritting through his teeth as if he was going to take a frying pan to the man’s face the next moment. 

The older man grunted on the other side. He muttered some complaints but Tsuna could hear the shuffling of fabric and footsteps while the noise in the background started to die. “You annoying little brat.”

“I am your external conscious and I’m a teenager, I am supposed to be annoying.”

“Fuck you.”

“Tell Megumi and Tsumiki I said hi. Also, Megumi’s medicine is inside the left kitchen drawer. He’s supposed to take another dose before bed tonight.”

Tsuna ended the call and went for a shower. The bruise from Mochida didn’t hurt any longer but his stomach still ached from Reborn’s kick. He didn’t know how such a small body could pack so much power. 

He didn’t see Reborn at the dinner table. Maybe he had given up already after seeing his poor performance at school or maybe Reborn actually listened to his desire for not wanting anything to do with the mafia. 

Either way, it was good news.

But his good mood only lasted until morning came. 

Reborn was sitting alone by the dining table with a set of breakfast already prepared in front of him. While sipping on a cup of coffee (wait, babies can’t have that much caffeine can they?), the hitman turned his attention to Tsuna and there was this hint of an evil gleam within his round eyes.

“Morning Dame-Tsuna,” he said and his next question nearly made Tsuna’s heart stop. He asked, “Who is Megumi?”

Tsuna mentally smacked himself as his face paled. He forgot how to breath. His brain couldn’t even begin to wonder where Reborn even heard the name from. All he knew was that, if he were to put how he was feeling right now in Toji-San’s words, it would be that he was absolutely royally fucked.

_Fuck._


	7. Gokudera - 1

06

“Who is Megumi?”

The question was like a bolt of thunder striking down Tsuna’s head. He felt every fiber in his body being fried and his mind exploding into a blank.

Before him, Reborn waited calmly as he ate the breakfast Nana had prepared. Tsuna tried to decipher if the hitman actually knew something or he was just trying to trick information out of him. In the end though, he couldn’t read Reborn. 

“Who is that?” He played dumb as he took his breakfast from Nana and slid into the chair across from Rebron. 

“You were mumbling that name in your sleep last night,” Reborn said.

“Wait,” Tsuna extended his hands out in front of him as his lips twitched. “Hold on for a second. You were in my room last night? Watching me sleep?”

“Gathering information is key to the success of any mission.” Reborn nodded to himself as if that justified everything he did. “Also, you lack alertness. A mafia boss should be aware of his surroundings even if he is resting.”

Tsuna wanted to throw the sandwich in his hand onto the infant’s face. But he decided against it. He didn’t want to waste his mom’s hard work. “That doesn’t give you the right to be in my room without my permission or watch me sleep. It’s creepy. Also, I told you before that I don’t want anything to do with the Mafia.”

“I think you will feel otherwise pretty soon.”

“Keep dreaming.”

They stared at each other in silence. Well, Tsuna glared but Reborn remained unaffected. 

“Oh, are you two done with breakfast already?” Nana’s voice brought Tsuna out of the staring match. The woman came out from the kitchen and she had a happy smile on her face as usual. 

“Thank you for the food,” said Reborn.

“Thanks Mom, it was delicious.” Tsuna cleared the plates. Yes, even Reborn’s cause technically he was still a guest at the Sawada House. “I think we should bring Reborn over to the cops today. His parents might be worried.”

Hitman or not, Reborn still looked like a baby. Tsuna knew his mom would agree that the child’s parents would be panicking since their kid didn’t go home last night. Besides, Tsuna was willing to say anything to get this humanoid nuisance out of his house and his life for good. 

However, Nana turned to him with a look that foretold there was hell coming. “That’s right, I haven’t told Tsu-kun yet!” She clasped her hands together and she grinned softly. “Reborn will be staying with us. We signed a contract last night and we agreed that we will provide room and food while Reborn tutors you!”

“What?” Tsuna felt his jaw drop. 

“He will be staying in the guest room. Please be nice to him and behave properly.”

“Wait, Mom! This has to be a joke right? I don’t need a tutor!”

“Nonsense,” Nana disagreed. “Tsu-kun’s grades need help and Reborn has promised he will teach you very well. I might just want you to grow up healthy and happy but grades are still important. Right, Reborn-kun?”

“You’re right, Mrs. Sawada,” he agreed sweetly.

“Please, call me Mama.”

Tsuna shut up. There was no arguing when his mom’s mind went off into a world of its own. He noticed Reborn smiling as he exchanged kind words with his mother and Tsuna hated everything about it.

He grabbed his backpack then headed out the door. At least he wouldn’t have to see Reborn at school. 

“Tsuna,” Reborn’s voice sounded as if it came from the darkest pit in hell. “Who is Megumi?”

He sighed.

“Look, I got no idea who Megumi is. Maybe it’s the name of a pop singer, a dog, or something else that I overheard on the streets. I also don’t like it when people intrude my private space. I don’t care if you’re looking for the next Don or whatever. I’m not it. I will never be it.”

He didn’t stay to see how Reborn would react. Tsuna shut the door, forming a physical barrier between him and the hitman. There was no way he was going to let Reborn learn about the Fushiguros. The family had enough problems as it did, Tsuna wasn’t going to let anyone else add to that mix.

He didn't want much. All he wanted was for his mom and the Fushiguros to be happy. 

#

The kids at school had a sudden change of heart for Tsuna. This wasn’t to say that he suddenly became the school’s biggest star pupil or anything of those sorts. It was just that, people don’t call him “No good Tsuna” as often and some of them even greeted him warmly. 

Tsuna didn’t find the sudden change exactly pleasing. True, it was a nice change to not have to hear the jeers and sniddy remarks but he wasn’t sure if the extra attention was a good thing.

At least things were peaceful when classes started. 

“We have a transfer student from Italy today,” the teacher introduced. “His name is Gokudera Hayato.”

“Wow, he’s hot.” 

Tsuna could hear the girls whispering excitedly. He lifted his head to take a glance at the cause of the commotion and stared right into angry green eyes. Startled, he sat up straighter. 

The teen at the front of the class had emerald green eyes and pale skin. His hair was silver and his features were distinct enough to tell that he had some foriegn heritage. He wore his uniform in an unruly manner, accompanied by a vast number of skull-related rings, spiked bracelets, and dangling silver necklaces. 

The transfer student looked like a delinquent from the end of his hair to the tips of his shoes. And he was scowling at Tsuna as if Tsuna had punched him in the face.

“Gokudera, you can sit over there.” 

He didn’t listen to the teacher. The silver haired teen thumped his way over to Tsuna and kicked his desk hard enough to knock it over. 

Tsuna sighed as he watched his new classmate sit down at the back of class and continued to brood.

_The isn’t going to end well isn’t it?_

#

When the bell rang, Tsuna bolted out of the classroom. He didn’t stop until he was a few streets away. While catching his breath, he noticed that the flower pot on the side of the shop looked...odd.

It was a short bushy plant decorated with white flowers. The base of the pot was round and its edge was even painted with intricate patterns. It looked normal and the texture felt normal too. Only, Tsuna took a deep breath then walked around it.

“What are you doing, Reborn?”

The flower pot shifted, causing its leaves to rustle. Then as if coming out of a horror movie, Reborn’s face poked out from the body of the pot. 

“Ciaossu,” he greeted. “An assassin should know how to blend into the crowd and how to hide.”

“Ok, whatever.” Tsuna gave up on trying to understand him. “There’s this silver haired transfer student at my school from Italy. He wears a lot of punk jewelry and he has been following me around all day like I owned him a million bucks. Do you happen to know anything about it?” 

“I see that you have met already,” mused Reborn. “He got here sooner than I expected.”

“So this is your doing.” Tsuna really wasn’t liking where this conversation was going.

“Gokudera Hayato is nicknamed Smokin’Bomb. He is a part of the mafia and his choice of weapon is the countless bombs he concealed all over his body.”

“What does he want with me then?”

Reborn stripped out of his disguise. The baby in a suit smiled. “He’s probably here to check out the tenth generation boss for himself. There are a lot of people that have questions as to if someone born outside of the mafia world can step up to the position you know? A good boss would be able to win them over with power and charisma. Good luck, Dame-Tsuna.”

“What do you mean—shit!”

Reborn left, disappearing into the crowded street while Tsuna raced down the stairs to avoid clashing head on with Gokudera, who certainly didn’t look like he had friendly intentions.

Tsuna was speeding down a sidewalk when out of nowhere, a force pulled him into the dark alley. A rough hand capped over his mouth while strong arms trapped him against a hard chest. He trashed against the restraints but his captor didn’t even budge.

“Relax, it’s just me.”

Tsuna stopped struggling when he recognized the familiar voice. “T-Toji-San?”

The man lowered his hand from Tsuna’s mouth but his arms were still encircling the teen. Tsuna held onto the other’s forearm as they watched the transfer student survey the area with a twisted scowl permanently plastered on his face. Gokudera kicked the empty can littered on the street in frustration then stomped away when he realized he had lost track of Tsuna. 

Tsuna relaxed, leaning most of his weight back into Toji. 

“I thought your description sounded familiar.” Toji commented from above him, causing a low rumble to run through his chest. “I’m not good at remembering men but what do you know? Never mind the silver haired kid, that baby was definitely Reborn, the number one hitman in the world.” 

“So he’s the real deal? An actual hitman?”

“Yeah, rumoured to be the best of the best too.” 

“Even you can’t beat him?” Tsuna glanced up, didn’t think that was possible. 

“Well, our target pools don’t really overlap so comparing might be hard. I’d say I’ve got a pretty good chance against him. Would you like his head as an early Chrimstmas present?” The menacing grin on his face made Tsuna laugh. 

“I don’t want you and him to meet though.” Tsuna turned around to hug the taller man properly. A calloused hand ran through his hair as Tsuna tried to stop his imagination from running too wild. The battle between Reborn and Toji sounded fun but Tsuna didn’t want to drag Toji-San into this mess.

“That’s your instincts talking?” 

“Yes.”

“Alright then,” Toji let go and sat down on the wooden crate besides them. “What does he want with you?”

“To make me a fitting Mafia boss? I think?”

Even Toji was surprised by the answer. “...Mafia?” he repeated with uncertainty.

“He said something about being hired by a Vongola Nono to make me into a suitable heir. Apparently I am a descendent of their first boss so I qualify and all their other candidates are dead.” Tsuna thought it was stupid himself. What kind of gangster would hand over the fate of their organization to a child that grew up outside of their control? Someone they haven’t even met in person or spoke a word to at all nonetheless?

“Vongola huh? They really are going down hill if they are recruiting a teenager from Japan as their heir.” Toji unconsciously ran a finger over the scar on his lips as he looked to be deep in thought. 

“You know them?” Tsuna sat down beside him. 

“Sure,” the man answered casually. “The Vongolas are a pretty big deal in the underground society. They are the most influential mafia family in Italy and they have got a strong connection everywhere else too. They have a lot of allied families pledging loyalty to them so the Vongola head is kind of like the capo di tutti i capi, a godfather of crime.” 

“Like the movie?”

He nodded.

“The sorcerers don’t like to deal with them often. Because where the mafia gathered, there is bound to be a lot of curses. Even if there was no blood or violence, distrust and jealousy mixed with greed tend to produce some real nasty things. But some of them are quite interesting. They can do a lot of cool stuff even without cursed energy or techniques. I heard some of them can actually lit themselves on fire...”

Toji stopped. His mouth hung slightly open as his pupils expanded. In a hurry, he grabbed Tsuna’s chin and tilted the teen’s chin up. His eyes scanned over Tsuna’s face, then finally landed on the center of his forehead. 

“Tsuna, do you remember how you were falling everywhere and failing at nearly everything that you did when you were around five or six?” he asked in a serious tone.

“How can I forget?” It was the reason why his nickname got around. 

“You weren’t always like that.” Toji frowned as they both realized something wasn’t adding up. “When we first met, you were weak but you were pretty normal in physical ability for a kid your age. Reflexes, speed, power...besides always crying like a waterfall, you were alright. But then you didn’t come see me for a while and when you showed up again you couldn’t do anything right.”

“What are you saying Toji-San?”

“I thought you were cursed.” The man released Tsuna and scratched his head with a confused scowl. 

“We both did,” Tsuna agreed. “That was why when you got the Inverted Spear of Heaven, you nicked me with it.” And he still has the scar to prove it on his left arm. 

“Yeah and you might not remember it but when I did, you were on fire.” He pointed to his forehead. “Right here, a small orange flame that sparked to life. It died pretty quickly but you also lost consciousness.”

“And then I got better.”

“Gradually,” Toji added. “So what if that wasn’t a cursed technique that my spear nullified? What if it was something those mafia did to you that resembled a curse?”

Tsuna felt his blood run cold. “What had they done to me then? Make me stupid and clumsy?”

“You could have died.” The man’s voice was dangerously low. “You were so prone to accidents and completely out of whack that I couldn’t let you out of my sight for a few minutes. Vongola had other heirs. Maybe they were trying to keep you out of the competition.”

And if he accidentally died then everything would be perfect. Even if he somehow managed to survive long enough, he was always going to be Dame-Tsuna. No good for anything and a complete failure as a candidate for the mafia’s legacy. Who would choose a cowardly idiot as their next boss? No one. Should they need it, they could also easily take him out of the picture if he hadn’t met Toji-san. 

Tsuna stayed silent as he searched for his voice. Finally, he managed to conclude, “So they came for me now that all their other candidates are dead. I wasn’t even supposed to be a choice.”

A small part of him tried to retrieve those distant memories of when he was younger. Who could have done this to him? He didn’t have much of a social circle and no one he knew was connected...no one except his father.

Tsuna remembered Reborn’s words.

 _“Your father is ineligible.”_

Why was he ineligible? What had the man done or what had he didn’t do?

“Heh,” a cold laugh that escaped Toji’s lips as he draped an arm over Tsuna’s shoulder. The man whispered beside his ears in a low hiss, like a serpent preparing to strike. “That baby hitman is going to be your tutor right? Get information from him, find out what that fire is, and what they did to you. Most importantly, find out which fucker did that to you.”

Tsuna grabbed onto Toji tightly. He could see his own lost reflection in the other’s dark eyes. Toji’s bangs casted a shadow over his features but he bared his teeth, revealing pearl white teeth and a smile tainted by bloodlust and frosting rage. 

“And then we’re going to skin them alive,” the man announced.


	8. Gokudera - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments! It is always great to get reviews so I know if where I can improve on and it's great motivation to write :)

07

Normally Tsuna would have kicked the sorcerer killer in the shin for uttering such cruel words or even planning to spill unnecessary blood. But he couldn’t at the moment, not when the source of Toji’s fury stemmed from his worry over Tsuna’s safety. 

“I don’t like killing Mafia or Yakuza because they are like cockroaches, kill one and the rest start showing up from all the cracks and shadows,” Toji pointed out the problems that might come. “But they are pretty easy targets, even with the superpowers. Heck, it’d be a hell lot harder to try and kill the Gojo’s six eyes than dismembering a few underground big shots. Only a curse can defeat a curse. If it comes down to it, we can always just go capture a cursed spirit then drop it on them. They’d be one of the thousands that disappear every year and we wouldn’t even have to worry about the clean up.”

The plan sounded enticing. Normal people couldn’t see cursed spirits so they would either get written off as another missing person or simply a victim of unfortunate events by the professionals. No one would suspect a thing.

No one.

Tsuna knew Toji-san could do it. He could plan everything out and make sure that not a single living soul ever saw it coming. Still, he wasn’t sure if they would have to go that far yet. A small part of him wished they had made a mistake. That there were still pieces of the puzzle missing and they were wrong. Maybe...just maybe, his dad had nothing to do with this.

The uneasy feeling inside his chest made Tsuna restless. 

Strange. He didn’t realize he still had some sort of rosy expectations for the absent man he should call his father. He doesn’t quite understand how to deal with it.

But there was one thing Tsuna needed to know right now.

“Toji-san, what did you do with Megumi and Tsumiki before you came here?” he asked.

“...Shit.”

That was all the answer Tsuna needed. Toji forgot about his children. Again. He didn’t hesitate to kick the older man in the shin this time. Toji howled in exaggerated pain and leaned most of his weight onto Tsuna, causing him to stumble. He pushed and struggled, trying to shake the childish man off.

Tsuna threw the thoughts about his father to some dusty corner of his mind. He felt like he was a piece on someone else’s chess board and that feeling disgusted him. Not to mention that he didn’t know what exactly he was up against but as long as Toji-san was beside him, he wasn’t scared of anything. 

They parted ways at the shrine. Deep down, he didn’t want the other man to go. After their conversation, he wasn’t really inclined to return home and face Reborn. But he couldn’t just leave his mom alone with the hitman. Who knows what crazy schemes Nana will get dragged into?

He touched his forehead, where Toji-san said was on fire all those years ago when he got stabbed with the Inverted Spear of Heaven. Toji thought the fire meant a curse was dispersed or broken since Tsuna got better...but now it might have been something different, something with a darker meaning behind it. His skin didn’t feel any different. There were no burn scars or discolored patches. 

The tips of his fingers felt cold. Odd enough, the motion sparked a very faint memory. Well, maybe it wasn’t even a memory. It felt more like a habit. An innate feeling that something should have been there. Not on his forehead but within him. Something that burnt like a hearth to fuel him. Something that belonged to him and made him who he was.

He tried to summarize what he was feeling into words and yes...it was as if there was a warmth that was lacking from his very soul.

Shaking his head, Tsuna decided he had too little information to work with. He will need to talk to Reborn and find out more about his dad. 

Even if that meant playing along to Reborn’s crazy plans for him to become the next Don.

#

Tsuna rolled out of bed and scrambled over to the wall on the other side of his room. His eyes were still groggy because he hadn’t fully woken up. His body moved faster than his brain as he stuck his back right against the wall.

On his bed, a gigantic green hammer had come down to where his head was positioned just a moment ago. It buried itself deep into his pillow and Tsuna had cold sweat running down his back just thinking about what would have happened if he didn’t get up in time.

“Good morning, Dame-Tsuna.” The baby hitman set the weapon down. It shrunk and transformed into the green lizard thing then crawled up to rest on Reborn’s hat.

_Wait, that lizard transforms?_

“Leon is not a lizard. He’s a chameleon.” As if sensing what Tsuna was thinking, Reborn landed a kick right on the teen’s thigh that made him drop to the floor. 

He groaned and rubbed the spot where Reborn had assaulted. “You can’t wake me up like a normal human being?”

“I gave you a very traditional Vongola styled wake up call.”

“You people are insane.” 

“It is good training for both the mind and the body.”

“Like I said, I.N.S.A.N.E!” Tsuna felt the words seething through his teeth. 

Even Toji-san had never tried to kill him in his sleep in the name of training. Somehow, he just knew this was going to be a normal occurrence so long as Reborn stayed.

Great. Just absolutely what he needed. Tsuna started wondering if he had cursed energy then maybe he could even make the hitman slip on a banana peel or something like that. The Inumaki clan’s Kotodama [1] was sounding very tempting right now. A few words and he can make his wish come true.

Reborn didn’t try to do much to him all through breakfast. He looked like he was a mere observer as he watched Tsuna get to school. 

The Disciplinary Committee was checking up on the students this morning. A row of male students with perfect uniforms buttoned to the very top of their collars and gelled up airplane hair stood by the front gate. They wrote up people for not wearing their uniforms properly and started to count down to when the students coming in will be considered late. 

Tsuna set foot on school grounds just as the largest of the airplane heads yelled out zero.

“Made it!” He let out a breath of relief. He wouldn’t be facing the wrath of their school’s demonic disciplinary leader today. Speaking of which, he didn’t see the dark haired crownless ruler of Namimori middle school. 

“Herbivore,” a low voice came from behind him.

“H-H-Hibari-senpai!” Tsuna shrieked but then quickly covered his mouth because he remembered the stories of how Hibari had bitten some students to death because they were noisy. 

The disciplinary leader’s jacket fluttered with the wind as he walked. A red armband was around his left sleeve while two sleek black tonfas were in his hands. Grey eyes casted down on him, and there was a hint of displeasure and confusion within his cold stare.

He studied Tsuna, as if the boy had suddenly grown a second head. 

“Hibari-senpai?”

Finally, Hibari let whatever was going on in his head go. 

“Don’t block the road.” He moved past Tsuna. “Get going, class is about to start.”

“Y-yes!”

Tsuna didn’t need him to say that twice. He didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Hibari’s tonfas. No one was stupid enough to. But the moment he opened his classroom door, he instantly regretted it. Inside, Gokudera turned his head around and sent him murderous glares.

If looks could kill, Tsuna would probably be lying down flat already. 

_Yeah...this was going to be a problem._ Tsuna decided that he was going to have a chat with the silver haired transfer student. 

He didn’t know what he had done to piss him off so bad and who knows? He might even get some information out of Gokudera if he really did come from a mafia background like Reborn said.

#

“Gokudera-san, can we please talk?” he asked the taller teen during lunch break. Tsuna saw surprise flashing across his classmate’s face but in the end, Gokudera followed him behind the school building. There were a few trees and some bushes. Tsuna even spotted a hose that was probably left by the maintenance staff. 

No one else was around, which made it the perfect opportunity to talk.

“Let’s cut to the chase,” Tsuna started as he took in a deep breath. He wasn’t used to talking to people his age and the scary look on Gokudera’s face really wasn’t helping his confidence. “Since you’ve been glaring at me as if I had stolen your cat ever since you got here, I think I at least deserve to know what I did to piss you off so bad.”

The teen in front of him was chewing on the end of his cigarette as his eyebrows knitted together. The corners of his lips sagged and he took his hands out of his pockets. 

“If a twig like you becomes head of the tenth generation, the Vongolas are finished,” he said with a dynamite in his hand. 

_Wait, dynamite?_

Tsuna stared at the dynamite with his mouth hanging open. It was red, contained a fuse, and it definitely smelled like a real one. 

_Where in the flipping damn world did a teenager get his hands on dynamite?_

“I won’t accept you as boss. I have been watching you and you’ve shown absolutely no potential at all. School work, sports, even popularity...you don’t have anything to show!” Gokudera suddenly raised his voice as his body language became more animated. “It’s time for you to die.”

He tossed the dynamites towards Tsuna. Tsuna hopped back with a surprised yelp but within a split second, the fuse on the dynamites was cut in half. 

“Ciaossu!”

They both turned to find Reborn sitting by the window. The baby hitman had a green gun in his hand and it was still smoking slightly. It wasn’t hard to figure out that he had stopped the dynamites from going off. 

“You must be Reborn, the ninth’s most trusted assassin.” Gokudera clicked his tongue when he realized who the baby was. Still, his hands went behind his back and somehow, as if he had another dimension stuck in his pockets, he took out a number of dynamites. “What you said before is still good right? If I kill Sawada then I get to be the tenth.”

“Absolutely,” the hitman agreed to those terrifying threats with the most innocent and cheerful tone Tsuna has ever heard from him.

“Good, cause there’s no way I will accept a spineless twig as boss.” He turned to Tsuna and snarled. “I will defeat you and become the tenth myself.”

Even though he was still holding dynamites in his hands, Tsuna walked up to him and smiled. 

“You’re absolutely right. I think Vongola will do well in your hands so please go right on ahead and become a great tenth.”

“...What?”

“I know I am not cut out for the position. Hey Reborn,” Tsuna called on purpose. He knew the baby was playing Gokudera and probably told the lad some very twisted lies. Still, he played along. “It looks like you’ve got a good candidate right here. I think you can pack up and get the hell out of my house now.”

The corners of Reborn’s mouth twitched, as if there was something he wanted to yell at Tsuna. In the end, he only warned, “You should focus on the enemy before you, Dame-Tsuna.”

“That’s right, Sawada.” There was renewed fire in Gokudera’s eyes. “Prepare to die!”

Then it started raining dynamites.

“Where in the world is he keeping all those dynamites?” Tsuna yelled at Reborn while dodging all the explosions. Smoke fogged his visions and the burnt scent clung to the inside of his nose. 

He really hoped they wouldn't attract the attention of Hibari-senpai. Destroying school properties? The older teen would bite them into the hospital deathbed and back. 

“It’s a trades secret. They don’t call him the Smokin’Bomb for nothing.” Reborn’s voice managed to ring through the countless explosions loud and clear. “Dodging and running won’t solve your problems, Dame-Tsuna. You should fight him with a dying will.”

“I don’t think my dying wish will ever be to fight a walking fireworks factory!” If anything, he _doesn’t_ plan on dying right now. Megumi and Tsumiki were still too young.

Also, there was a big difference between when to bet your life on the line and when to cast it away like an abandoned chess piece. 

“This is it!” Gokudera yelled as he cornered Tsuna. “Double bombs.”

“Hieeee!” Tsuna ducked and grabbed the hose on the ground then turned on the water. The water put out all of the dynamites that had come his way and formed a beautiful rainbow as it reflected the sun’s light.

“What?” There was shock in Gokudera’s voice but he quickly recovered.“Triple bombs then!”

More than a dozen bombs appeared in his hands, but maybe the teen miscalculated or maybe his perfect move wasn’t completed yet, but one of the dynamites fell on the floor.

“Shit!” he cursed as the cigarette fell out of his mouth and shut his eyes, expecting the impact of explosives going off and his death.

Only, Tsuna aimed the still running hose right at him and splashed him with water. 

“Whew, that was dangerous.” He released the hose when he was sure all of the explosives were too wet to go off. Gokudera still stood in the middle of the useless dynamites and he was completely drenched from head to toe. Water dripped down his chin and Tsuna wasn’t sure if he was going to be angry at him for making a fool out of him. 

“You saved my life,” the teen muttered in disbelief and his expression was dark. 

Out of nowhere, Tsuna started to feel a chill running down his spine. 

“Even though we are enemies, you still put aside that difference and saved my life.” Gokudera went on his knees as he bowed his head to Tsuna. “I was wrong! You are fit to be boss!”

Tsuna felt like he should start running even though Gokudera didn’t have any murderous intentions any more. “All I did was hose you down. If anything, you should be thanking the water.”

“The loser serves the winner, that is how the mafia work.” The silver haired teen got up and his expression changed completely. Now, he had a sheepish smile on. “I don’t actually want to be the tenth. You are much more than I expected. Since you have saved me, I will put my life in your hands.”

“I don’t want any lives on my hands though! Please don’t do—”

But he never got to finish his sentence.

“Nonsense! Tenth! I will follow you till the end of the earth!” Gokudera pledged.

Tsuna looked up to the sky, silently cursing at whatever supernatural powers up there that decided it would be entertaining to mess with his life. He lowered his head and he saw stars in Gokudera’s eyes, then he found it hard to keep a straight face of refusal.  
Reborn appeared beside them. “Good job, Tsuna. You got your first subordinate and family member.”

Tsuna slapped a hand on his forehead.

Gods, the universe must really hate him for some reason.

#

Reborn didn’t feel much joy even if his plan for Tsuna to obtain his storm guardian worked out in the end. Gokudera would be a great tempest. Originally Reborn thought the silver haired teen would be enough to at least kindle some kind of spark within Tsuna. But he was still running even when there was an explosive threat to his life. 

There wasn’t a fear for his life like any normal citizen would when they are confronted with dangerous weapons. Just like how he reacted to seeing a gun in Reborn’s hand the first time, Tsuna was unimpressed. While he did question where Gokudera got his hands on them, he wasn’t even one bit concerned over it.

That wasn’t good news for Reborn.

If there was nothing to motivate Tsuna, not even a will for survival, he couldn’t shoot the kid with a dying will bullet. The bullet’s special effects only worked if the person had some kind or resolution or regret that they would be desperate to obtain. If not, the bullet would actually take Tsuna’s life.

It wasn’t a bet that Reborn was confident enough to make.

The teen was more detached than usual. There was a certain level of distrust in his eyes whenever Reborn was around. The hitman didn’t know what had sparked that bizarre tension. While Tsuna wasn’t exactly welcoming when they first met, the boy hadn’t been so on guard. 

Now, it was as if Reborn had stepped on his tail and Tsuna was acting all hissy and threatening. 

It wasn’t that Reborn didn’t like this sharper side of Tsuna. A good mafia boss would be able to put his foot down and examine his opponents. A boss couldn’t just be the good guy or the listener with a gentle smile. 

But it was making his job at the moment a dozen folds harder.

Reborn went into the kitchen to find Nana chopping vegetables and a pot was cooking on the stove.

“Mama, do you know if there is anyone that goes by the name of Megumi?”

“Megumi?” Nana repeated in a questioning tone. The confusion on her face was real. “I don’t think there’s anyone with that name around this neighbourhood. Oh, but there is a Megu! She’s Mrs. Hashida’s emotional support dog.”

“Really?” Reborn didn’t think that was it. Unconscious or not, Tsuna didn’t look like the type that would be mumbling the name of a dog in his sleep. Also, since it was a support dog for an old lady, it was probably docile enough that it never chased the poor teen down the streets. Which meant, there was no reason for Tsuna to be terrified of it enough that it haunted his dreams.

He then noticed that Nana was making a lot more food than usual. 

“Why the feast today? Did something good happen?”

The woman smiled and it was a bright and gentle smile that belonged to a mother that cherished her son very much.

“Tsu-kun brought a friend back today! It’s the first time he has done so in so many years! I was worried,” she explained. “Although he _was_ obsessed with Toji-san when he was little, Tsu-kun never had many friends. Too bad Gokudera-kun couldn’t stay for dinner. ”

“Who?” Reborn stopped everything he was doing and stared up at the unsuspecting housewife.

“An imaginary friend. Tsu-kun called him ‘Toji-san’.” Nana lifted her chin slightly and her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling as if she was trying to remember. “He liked him very much. I couldn’t get him to stop talking about how fast and strong Toji-san was. Like a ninja or superman.”

“Is that so? Did Tsuna ever describe what this Toji-san looked like?”

“I think he said Toji-san had black hair and wore plain colored kimonos. Oh that’s right!” Her expression brightened. “He had a scar on his mouth.”

The woman returned her attention to the boiling pot while Reborn tilted the rim of his hat lower. He didn’t recognize the description and generally, it was too vague for him to go on. Nana said this Toji-san was an imaginary friend and it wasn’t difficult to imagine that a friendless young Tsuna would try to come up with one on his own. A ninja or superman? Now that was an interestingly childish description. 

Based on the reports, Tsuna had never left Namimori. There wasn’t a pronounced martial artist or ancient clan living in the vicinity either so there was a high chance that it was just the child’s foolish and wild imagination at work. 

He will have to look into it later.

Right now, Reborn has something else planned. Tsuna was too much of a dead pond of water. There were no ripples or turbulence swaying his heart and that was causing a problem.

Tsuna was sheltered inside a world of his own and it is Reborn’s job to run down that shell and drage the boy out, even if he will kick and scream all the way.

They will need to add a few more flavors and excitement to Tsuna’s life. _Something_ was sure to spark a flame inside the boy and Reborn has more than enough time to try every trick in the book if he must. Since Tsuna didn’t have much of a social network, he might help him expand that. It would be good for him to bond with his future family members too. He needed connections. To real people with flesh and blood. 

Reborn smirked. 

He already had a candidate for the lightning guardian, it was probably time to bring him in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1]: Kotodama = cursed words. In JJK, the Inumakis are known to possess this cursed technique. Anything they say will come true. For instance, if he says “Fall” then anyone that hears it will go down. As a result, they can’t communicate normally.
> 
> Hibari has a sharp sense. He probably noticed that Tsuna wasn't all that weak and frail as he appeared on the outside but he can't be sure. While he likes to fight strong opponents, the Tsuna right now didn't show anything out of the ordinary exactly so Hibari didn't try to test his strength.
> 
> Gojo's six eyes...I think you know what I am referring to XD.


	9. Lambo - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Warning: Brief description of cross-dressing and implied pedophilia.

08  
Tsuna tried to concentrate on his homework in front of him. The words started mingling and swirling after a while but he got most of it done. That surprised him a little. However, if you’ve got a baby hitman threatening to blow up bombs if you don’t finish your homework on time then you’d probably be surprised at what you can achieve. 

Pressure makes diamonds.

Tsuna just wished Reborn would find some other coal to transform. Also, it didn’t help that there were so many distractions going on around him. For instance, there was a cow outside his window.

There was a damn cow outside his window.

Tsuna sighed. He was way too tired for this. Somehow he felt that algebra drained his energy more than running a few dozen laps around the neighborhood. While Reborn checked his work, he opened the window, then was met with the face of a human child.

“Long time no see, Reborn!” it yelled. 

Correction. There was a child dressed like a cow outside his window. His hair was puffy, large, and decorated with two short horns. The black and white onesie even had a tail. And apparently he knew Reborn.

Of course he knew Reborn.

Tsuna watched as the black haired and green-eyed boy jumped into his room with a gun in hand. He aimed it at Reborn and pulled the trigger but nothing came out. Confused, he looked down at the gun then chucked it at Reborn.

“Die!”

“You made a mistake here, Dame-Tsuna.” Reborn pointed to a question as he casually returned the gun. By throwing it directly onto the other young child’s head with enough force that it knocked the kid backwards.

Tsuna felt his heart skip a beat when the child crashed into the wall. Hard. 

Only, the strange child didn’t cry. He had tears in his eyes as he bent on the ground with his hands over his head. “Tolerate!”

He stood up. There was fire in his watery eyes as he faced Reborn again. “I am the great Lambo! Five years old and from the Bovino famiglia. My favorite foods are grapes and candies. By the boss’s order, I am here to take you down!”

Then he ran towards the hitman with some kind of stun gun in hand. Blue electricity sparked everywhere. Tsuna thought he even saw the kid’s horns charging up with electricity.

“Are you listening, Tsuna? You should use this equation here.” Reborn smacked the child, causing him to roll to the side. The kid flew face first into the wall again, causing a small rumble to rock through the room. Tsuna held a hand to his face and cringed. 

That must have hurt.

And he could see it in the child, Lambo’s, eyes. His features were twisted as he bit on his bottom lip. His whole body was trembling, shaking as if he was trying to hold the pain in. Tsuna couldn’t understand a single word Lambo was mumbling under his breath but it was probably something along the lines of “can’t cry” and “Idiot Reborn”. 

“T-Tolerate!” But whatever pep talk he was giving himself didn’t work. The child burst out in tears as he sat on the ground and he fished out a hand grenade from his hair.

A hand grenade.

With Reborn being the first example, there was no way Tsuna would think that hand grenade was fake. 

Tsuna swore silently and raced over, wrestling the hazardous weapon out of the kid’s hands and threw that horrendous thing out the window at full force. It exploded in the air, resulting in a cloud of ashes and smoke.

Meanwhile, Lambo still wept on the ground like a lost puppy. 

“Hey, Lambo right?” Tsuna picked the crying child up and patted him on the back instinctively. “It’s alright now. It doesn’t look like it’s a good time for you to be killing Reborn right now, so why don’t we stop crying and go find some candy?”

“Candy?” he questioned through sobs and hiccups. 

Tsuna wiped the snot and tears from his face with a tissue and headed towards the door. “Yeah, but no killing or lethal weapons during snack time, ok? Think you can do it?”

There was struggle on the kid’s face as he glanced over Tsuna’s shoulder at Reborn.

“We won’t give Reborn any,” Tsuna promised. He didn’t think the hitman would care either. Reborn was always more of an espresso type of person. 

“Ok!”

#

Even if he was small, Lambo was a very persistent killer.

Now, he didn’t say he was a good one. He was just a very determined one.

Tsuna had tried to get the kid to go back to where he came from. Even offered to call his parents or guardians and take him to the airport but the responses were not great.

“Lambo is the greatest killer in the world! I don’t want to leave until I killed Reborn.” The kid would run away then, dodging Tsuna’s attempts to capture him while littering a bunch of totally illegal stuff on the floor. 

It took only five minutes to figure out that Lambo was much harder to deal with than Megumi and Tsumiki combined. And that was after he factored in Toji-san’s occasional interference. 

While the Fushiguro kids were quiet and well-behaved, Lambo was a ball of energy wreaking havoc everywhere he went. It didn’t help that he seemed to be in a one-sided feud with Reborn. They “fought” constantly. Well, it might be better to describe it as Lambo throwing some kind of dangerous weapon at Reborn then getting hit by the hitman and going off crying. Repeat that cycle a few more times and you’d get the idea.

Usually Reborn ignored Lambo’s advances. To put it in his words was that he “didn’t associate with those of a lower rank than him”. 

But the more Tsuna watched the two interact, the more he started to question if all the mafia were terrible with children.

Even worse than Toji-san. 

True, he will admit that Toji-san wasn’t a stellar and model caretaker but at least the man never let him handle dangerous or sharp objects unsupervised. But Lambo...he could dig out a number of completely illegal and definitely not child-proof objects from his hair as if they _were_ supposed to be there like another hair clip. Knives, missiles, hand grenades, guns...all sorts of firearms that aren’t safe for a child to carry around.

“Lambo! Put the gun down.” Tsuna swapped the gun with a plate of breakfast. “Mama made the eggs extra sweet today just for you. If you don’t eat it now it’s going to get cold. You don’t want to waste her hard work right?”

“Mama’s cooking is the best!” The kid yelled happily as he dug in, completely forgot about his master plans to kill Reborn for the moment. 

“You’re awfully good with children,” Reborn commented with a strange look. “Did you plan to make a career out of it?” 

“No,” Tsuna didn’t think he was cut out to deal with a dozen children for eight hours a day and five days a week. “Maybe I just look good in comparison because you all are doing a lousy job.”

He’d start losing faith in humanity if all the mafia were irresponsible adults like whoever raised Lambo to this point in life. 

“What are you wearing anyways?” he asked the baby hitman, who was dressed more like a mad scientist. He had the white coat and the freakish hair that defied gravity.

“A good shock cures everything,” Reborn said while taking out what looked like a more horrifying version of AEDs. The two pads in his hands were gigantic and they were wired to a metallic machine that beeps as if it was going to explode. “Even nosy children.”

Somehow, he had tied Lambo down within seconds without Tsuna even noticing.

“Reborn!” Tsuna stepped in between him and Lambo.

He got it. He really did. He knew there were certain sacrifices to be made when you were trying to raise strong children. The jujutsu sorcerers let teenagers face off cursed spirits for god’s sake and the death rate wasn’t pretty no matter how hard you squint at it.

But this was going way too far. 

He held his arms across his chest. “Let me be clear. You can’t just smack a child around like he’s a volleyball or basketball. I don’t care how he was raised or if there’s a general tradition within the mafia that you have to treat your kids like shit. There are no classes or ranks here. I don’t care if you’ve got royal mafia blood in you or whatnot and I certainly don’t give a damn what you think is normal education. None of that bullshit is happening in this house, you hear me?”

The hitman stared up at him with an unreadable look. “For someone that supposedly has no backbone, you stand up for some pretty unconventional things.”

“It’s not unconventional to care for the safety of children.” he answered coldly. 

“Spoiling the children too much will make them weak. They won’t be proper members of the mafia.”

To which, Tsuna only scoffed. “If you need children to fight your battles, then you mafia are the ones that have a problem.”

Reborn packed his torture machines away. He tugged on the front of his lab coat then looked at Tsuna. “Tsuna feels like a mother right now.”

“I will be anything if that means you’d back off. I am not part of the mafia so I don’t have to play by your rules.”

Speaking of which, he remembered that Nana had dressed him up as a girl before. It was probably a common trend for mothers with young sons and no daughters. It had been a white dress with lace hems, the sleeves were short, and an orange bow tied everything together at his back. He didn’t mind wearing dresses or putting on makeup if it made his mom happy. Toji-san had a real good laugh when he first saw it though. 

_“Oh come on,” the teen had said while trying to calm down from laughing so hard when he saw Tsuna pouting. “Think of it as a disguise. Let’s go have some fun with it.”_

And he was right. It had been a disguise and disguises are only good when they made sure no one can ever connect two and two together. No one thought he was out of place on the streets or even questioned his gender. Nana did a real fantastic job. 

Faceless men in suits would approach him. Tsuna didn’t really understand what they wanted back then but they would praise and gush at him. 

Until Toji-san broke their limbs that was.

The adults would scream, scrambling away on all fours as they begged for forgiveness. They’d roll on the ground without a shred of dignity, howling, sobbing, and blabbering about the pain. Toji-san took their wallets and handed them off to Tsuna, who stood in the dark alley as he watched the blood splattered onto the concrete and teeth flying through the air. 

_“Why did you hurt them?” he asked when Toji-san picked him up from the ground. There was some blood on the teen’s face so Tsuna wiped it away with the handkerchief Nana packed into his bag._

_“Because they were doing something bad.”_

_“But all they did was tell me I looked pretty.” And they offered him candies or money if he smiled._

_Toji grinned. “Not all bad guys say mean things and not all pain has to come from a knife or fist. Sometimes, they are disguised as nice and sweet things.”_

_“Like Snow White’s poison apple?”_

_“Exactly.”_

They went to get takoyaki afterwards.

He sighed, shaking the memory out of his head then started untying Lambo. “Let’s get you out of these.” 

When the kid was free, Lambo looked like he was about to cry again. 

“Tolerate! Can’t—Can’t do it!”

He pulled out a—Tsuna wasn’t sure what it was. A canon? A bazooka? Then Lambo aimed it at himself. 

“Wait, Lambo! What are you—”

A puff of pink smoke filled the room as the trigger went off. Tsuna raised his hands to his eyes to protect them from the strong force of air radiating out. 

When the smoke dispersed, there was a stylishly dressed teen standing in the middle of the living room. He had soft black hair and green eyes that looked like they were in a haze for a moment. This strange teen looked around the room then focused on Tsuna. 

“Oh? Young Vongola,” the teen greeted with one eye shut. “Ah, so that’s how it is...It’s been a while. Thanks for taking care of me 10 years ago.”

“...Lambo?” He wasn’t sure. But he has seen crazier shit go down in a cursed spirit’s domain. “That bazooka...?”

Lambo nodded. “The person shot with the 10 years bazooka switches places with their ten years older future self for five minutes.”

“That is wow.” He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t know technology was so advanced already.

Older Lambo surveyed the room. “This brings back memories...” Then his eyes found Reborn.

“Reborn!” His demeanor changed. More focused and filled with a sort of seriousness that Tsuna would never have expected from the crying child moments ago. “I’m not the crybaby I used to be anymore. Face me properly one-on-one. I will surely defeat you this time!”

“It’s time for my appointment.” Reborn noted as he glanced at the watch around his wrist. “I will come back tomorrow morning. Before that, don’t forget to finish all your homework, Tsuna. I will check it when I come back.”

Lambo was flustered in the face as he was being ignored. “Why you Reborn—” 

Then Lambo stopped. His face twisted into something halfway between a frown and a goofy grin. “You know what? Forget it. It’s not worth it. Good luck Reborn, you are _so_ going to need it.”

The way he said that made both of them turned to face him. It was a mix between excitement and total chaos...which probably couldn’t mean anything good.

Only, the teen locked his lips as if he was pulling up a zipper. 

“Oh and yong Vongola,” he said while leaning in close. There was something heavier swimming in those emerald ponds of his, something Tsuna didn’t quite know how to place yet. “It won’t hurt to drop some of the burdens on your shoulder. Not everything that’s been forced into your hands is your responsibility.”

With that, he disappeared into a puff of pink smoke. The younger Lambo was back and the kid landed in Tsuna’s arms. 

“Tsuna! I want candies!” he demanded cheerfully. He looked completely unaware that he had just been sent to the future. Tsuna only nodded, his thoughts still lingering on what older Lambo had said. 

_What had he meant by that?_

Whatever it was, he hoped it had absolutely nothing to do with the Fushiguros.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter chapter for today. What I have in mind for Yamamoto's arc is looking...too dark right now.
> 
> As for Reborn, I don't want to bash him. Sometimes in canon I just feel like he forgot that he's dealing with civilian kids that had no knowledge of the mafia because he's a hitman and was probably accustomed to that type of environment. 
> 
> I think 1 reason why I love JJK is that it included everyone and not just the teenagers. There are the background workers, the irresponsible adults, and the responsible adults. They might have their own quirks and motives but they don't do the whole "it's up to you to save the world now thing" and even if they want the main characters to grow, they are still there as a safety net if things go bad. It doesn't matter that if they are just motivated by the thought of "wanting to look cool" or "because I'm the strongest", they acknowledge that the kids are still kids.


	10. Yamamoto - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Warning: There's a bit of a spoiler for JJK in this chapter. 
> 
> Background music to go with this chapter:
> 
> Meghan Trainor - Kindly Calm Me Down  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpUvQ3JtUXc

09

Reborn entered the underground bar.

It was small and dimly lit, with flickering lights that buzzed as if it was going to die any moment. The wooden floors were stained black and the green wall paper was peeling off.

Reborn signed silently. It was hard to get good information around Namimori. The town was simply too quiet and peaceful, which wasn’t good for these kinds of businesses.

This was the problem when he wasn’t operating on his home turf. If it was back in Italy, he wouldn’t even have to come get the information in person.

lemitsu’s files were garbage so far. In the man’s reports, Sawada Tsunayoshi was a wimpy kid with no friends and no hope. He was spineless, clumsy, and shy. An near empty canvas waiting to be painted in the pastel of colors. Something that was soft and malleable enough to be made into a great don. Yet the boy he had been observing for the past week was none of those things. He might look detached and drifty on the outside but he had a sharp tongue and stubborn thoughts. And his eyes, the way Tsuna’s eyes stared into the distance sometimes made Reborn anxious. Tsuna wasn’t fully _here_. Or, at least, he wasn’t fully _just_ Sawada Tsunayoshi. 

It was as if someone else had already made their mark on the boy, painted the white canvas in all sorts of viscous colors and claimed it as their masterpiece. 

Not to mention that Reborn couldn’t say that Tsuna didn’t have a backbone. He just didn’t care until someone actually crossed the line.

Children, it seems, was his taboo.

Was it projection? Did the teen see his younger self in all these children? 

The owner of the bar was a retired yakuza man with enough brains left that he knew what to say and what not to. Reborn jumped onto the damaged counter, someone probably had smashed their heads or a knife into it too many times.

“What are you looking for?” asked the information dealer with a tattooed right arm. He was short and stubby but his eyes glistened with a kind of slyness that was hard to ignore.

“I want to know about a man with a scar on his mouth. He would probably be around his twenties to early thirties and be physically well built. Also, he has dark hair.” Reborn guessed the age partly based on Nana’s description. If there was someone else in Tsuna’s life then there probably won’t be that big of an age difference between them. They would be older. Five to ten years older, give or take. “A superhuman of some sort in physical prowess.”

The man behind the counter placed a hand on his chin. His beady eyes scanned Reborn as the hitman slipped a few bills over. 

“There is someone who matches the description but he is a drifter that mainly operates around Tokyo now,” he said.

“Who is it?” 

“People call him the ‘Heavenly Tyrant'. He is a weapons master and a damn genius in martial arts. I heard he quit but then he got back in the business a while back.”

Reborn slid him another deck of bills but the information dealer didn't take it. At least, not all of it.

“I don’t know much about him. He is a formidable killer and he gets the job done. But he doesn’t take a lot of requests just from _any_ agent. You’ve got to know some real dang weird people for that. Some might even say the supernatural kind. I can’t help you on this.”

“Any thoughts on how he got his nickname?” People don’t just randomly get assigned a codename. They were usually associated with a trait, maybe a weapon they favored even.

“Don’t know.”

Reborn sank into his thoughts. Heavenly Tyrant...it sounded like someone that was violent and full of themselves. A madman without any regards for rules, a free soul.This didn’t sound like someone that would get involved with children purely out of the kindness in their hearts.

Before him, the information dealer leaned in close. Reborn could smell the stench of beer from his breath but the seriousness on the other’s face prevented Reborn from backing off or putting a bullet through his skull. 

“Only thing I know for sure is that I wouldn’t get too involved with the likes of them if I were you. Bad things tend to happen with that mix.” The man gave him a grin that was missing a few teeth, but his tone told Reborn this was no joking matter. “Like a curse.”

_Like a curse_

#

Life has never been more rowdy for Tsuna.

And he was finding it all hard to deal with. He didn’t know what to do when Gokudera showed up at his front door every morning, yelling “Morning, Tenth!”. He didn’t know what to do when Sasagawa Kyoko started greeting him at school. And he sure as hell doesn't know what he was supposed to say when Yamamoto Takeshi decided Tsuna was a good emotional garbage can. 

The baseball star was smiling, grinning even, but Tsuna didn’t think that joy reached his eyes. 

“What do you think I should do, Tsuna?” He was asking about baseball. From what Tsuna gathered, Yamamoto was worried that his performance was slacking. 

“...Practice harder?” He wasn’t sure what else he could say. Tsuna wasn’t exactly close with Yamamoto. They couldn’t be more different in terms of popularity. “But rest is important too. Give it some time then try again.” 

“Haha, I thought so too! I knew you would get it!” The taller teen patted Tsuna on the back. He was back to his happy-go-lucky and carefree self but Tsuna couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

Still, when he saw the light on Yamamoto’s face when he talked about baseball, Tsuna couldn’t bring him to say anything else.

 _It will be fine._ He told himself. 

_It will be fine._

The next day Gokudera didn’t accompany Tsuna to school. The silver haired teen had said something about the need to get more dynamites before he apologized profusely for not being able to walk Tsuna to school. 

“I’ll be back real soon, Tenth!” He waved as he dashed off towards an unknown destination. Tsuna thought briefly if he should get the name of Gokudera’s supplier but he decided against it. Toji-san wasn’t big on bombs. Too flashy and too loud. They would need to get someone to put up barriers if they want to use that.

Tsuna appreciated the quiet. It was nice and he was used to being alone on his trips to school but a small part of him was a little disappointed.

_Wait, disappointed?_

He scratched the back of his head, confused. By the time he got to school, he still couldn’t figure it out so he decided to drop it. 

“Yamamoto is going to jump from the roof!” someone yelled from outside their class.

“What? Why?”

“Apparently he stayed behind to practice yesterday and he broke his arm!”

Oh.

Tsuna felt the muscles in his body stopped working for a moment. Was it his fault? Because he told Yamamoto to put in more effort?

People scampered out into the hall, all rushing to the roof. Within seconds, the whole class was emptied out. 

Sasagawa Kyoko looked back at Tsuna as she stood by the door. 

“Tsuna-kun—” she started and there was worry in her voice. 

Tsuna stopped her. If Yamamoto was really going to jump, they wouldn’t have much time. “Sasagawa-san, please go notify the teachers.” 

Reborn appeared around the corner. _When did he come back?_ Tsuna hadn’t noticed anyone watching him for the whole day.Maybe he was losing his touch or maybe things had just been too hectic lately for him to keep caring. 

“Aren’t you going to help Yamamoto?” Reborn asked with genuine curiosity in his voice. 

“What do you think I’m doing?” Tsuna grabbed the rope from the closet and headed up the roof. He tied one end of it to the thickest pole he could find on the roof and the other to his left wrist. Then he marched towards Yamamoto.

“What’s Sawada doing?” 

The crowd was murmuring behind him. And their voices slithered into Tsua’s brain. His fingers felt cold and his muscles suddenly felt weak. He looked up and his eyes found Yamamoto.

The dark haired teen had his right arm wrapped in bandages and he was standing right on the edge of the roof. Too close to the skyline, too close to air. 

One step. Death. Another life lost.

Tsuna saw it again at that moment. The first person he couldn’t save. An accident. An innocent who got trapped inside a barrier. 

He saw long locks of hair flipping through the air. 

The body of a girl, lifeless and broken as the crimson flowers blossomed beneath her. What had pushed her? The cursed spirits? The shaman? Or did she just lost balance? 

He wasn’t sure. He doesn’t remember.

Did he scream then? He probably did. Noises, noises...his world was filled with nothing but static noises.

_“Listen to my heart beat,” Toji-san had said as he pushed Tsuna’s head into his chest. “Tune out everything else. There’s nothing else, Tsuna. Just focus on that.”_

“Are you here to stop me, Tsuna?”

Yamamoto’s voice pulled him back to reality. 

“Yamamoto...” he opened his mouth but he didn’t really know what to say. His head still pounded, his voice still cut off from his brain. 

“Baseball was everything to me and now I can’t do it anymore. You’d probably be able to understand, don’t you?” Yamamoto turned his head slightly to face him. The wind had picked up. “You have been called ‘No good Tsuna’ all this time, you can understand the desire to die over failing don’t you?”

“I don’t,” Tsuna managed to answer despite how dry his mouth was. He could see Yamamoto narrow his eyes at the answer but Tsuna didn’t care.

He couldn’t lie about this. 

“Death isn’t always the easy way to go.” His shoulders trembled as he remembered how the corpse of the girl climbed back up. With blood dripping down her chin as she begged for death, for peace. “Besides, I can’t die yet. There’s still someone waiting for me. I know that even if I am gone, it probably won’t mean much to the majority of people. Yeah, maybe they’d talk about me for a day or two, then I’d be forgotten. I would be old news. Yeah, life sucks as ‘No good Tsuna’ but so long as there’s still one person in this world that would face misery if I die, I can’t do that to them.”

He made a promise and a promise is a bond.

“I’m not like you Yamamoto,” Tsuna looked down to the ground, his voice was oddly calm despite the feelings swirling inside his guts. “I have never poured all my heart into something so passionately. I don’t know what it feels like to be hot for something, some kind of hot blooded dream that I want so badly to come true.”

Surviving was hard enough as it was. Not just for himself, but also for the Fushiguros.

There simply wasn’t space in his life for him to consider the likes of friendship and burning youth, racing towards the sun while shouting encouraging words along with their friends that shared the same aspiration. 

He knew that comrades were important. He knew that people’s lives centered around forming connections. Each of them was a piece in the network, like the stars within constellations. Shining bright and only when all of them are connected they become the bigger picture. 

But Tsuna knew that wasn’t the whole truth for everyone. 

What was that saying going around all the jujutsu sorcerers? Oh yes…

_”No matter how many allies you have around you, when you die you shall always be alone.”_

So the only thing he could do was make a promise to the ones he loves. He said he would stay, that he would always be there. And he meant it. He wasn’t going to break a bond.

Love was a curse.

A bond was a curse.

If it meant he could prevent everything from falling apart, then he would gladly take on the burden of that curse.

“I’m sorry, Yamamoto. I can’t die yet so I don’t understand what you are feeling right now.” Tsuna wasn’t sure if the other teen could understand his words. He wasn’t sure what he was saying himself. “You might think I’m arrogant or selfish but I can’t let you die today either. So please, come down from there.”

“Tsuna—” Yamamoto reached for him but just before their hands touched, the fence fell apart and Yamamoto fell backwards into the air. 

“Yamamoto!”

Tsuna raced after his falling form while still holding one end of the rope. He leaped into the air and grabbed the black haired boy’s shirt then swung both of them towards the building. 

Yamamoto smashed through the window. He landed onto the hallway with a few minor scratches while Tsuna dangled from the rope. 

A heavy rope burn engraved itself into Tsuna’s wrist. It had buried deep into his flesh thanks to gravity and force. The skin was raw and he could see purple on the rough edges of the wound. It throbbed. There was blood seeping from his skin. Both his and Yamamoto’s weight combined was too much for Tsuna’s body to handle. 

Toji-san would have gotten out of that unscratched. 

“Tsuna! Your hand...” Yamamoto came up to him as Tsuna climbed through the shattered window. His eyebrows were tied into a deep twisted knot when he saw the wound. 

“I don’t know your pain, Yamamoto.” Tsuna knew that playing this card was kind of low but he couldn’t think of anything else at the moment. “I might never be able to but at least for today, even if it’s just for the sake of this wound, don’t die.”

“...Alright, that’s a promise.” 

Yamamoto nodded sternly. His eyes never left the wound on Tsuna’s wrist as he did so.

Tsuna smiled.

He turned around to head towards the nurse’s office. He would need to get himself patched up. On his way there, he remembered that he told Lambo he would get him grape flavoured candies. 

The kid wasn’t much older than Megumi or Tsumiki. Maybe they would like some of the candies too so he should probably get a larger quantity. Tsuna thought of Fushiguro kids as he walked. He hadn’t heard anything from Toji-san but that might have just meant the man just didn't go home.

He would need to find a time to sneak over to the Fushiguros and check up on them soon.

#

Tsuna sighed as he pressed his head into Toji's chest. They were lying on the sofa at the Fushiguro’s household. The body beneath him was warm as always, with thick muscles that were finely trained to deliver the most efficient kill possible in all situations.

The television was on, reporting the latest in horse racing but neither of them was paying it much attention. Toji-san had never won any of those gambles anyways. 

“You’re a goddamn idiot,” Toji mocked as he narrowed his eyes at the white bandages around Tsuna’s wrist. 

“But he’s alive,” Tsuna whined. 

“Doesn’t make you less of an idiot.” The man flicked Tsuna on the forehead, leaving a pale pink mark. “If someone wants to die, you let them. So long as they don’t turn into a cursed spirit, who gives a damn about what they want to throw away?”

Tsuna mumbled some complaints. He thought it was worth it. He would feel bad if Yamamoto had really died. If he really did jump because Tsuna told him to train harder.

They heard a sob came from the other room.

“Pa-pa, Tsuna!” Megumi’s voice echoed down the hall. “Look!”

Immediately, Tsuna felt Toji’s body tense. He was like a bow string that had been pulled far too tight, ready to snap at any moment. The sudden change in atmosphere made Tsuna wary. He pushed himself up slightly and he made the mistake of looking up.

Oh.

Dogs.

A white dog and a black dog with a strange mark on their forehead was right beside Megumi. They stood beside the young boy like guardians, alert and ready to pounce. The boy with spiky black hair and green eyes just like his fathers petted the dogs on their heads. 

“They came out of my shadow.” he said and there was a hint of hesitation. “But Tsumiki can’t see them! Is something wrong with us?”

The boy looked at them expectedly, trying to mask his worry but failing miserably. Tsuna could see it in the way Megumi’s glance was casted slightly lower and how his lips were quivering. 

Tsuna opened his mouth.

“There’s nothing wrong with you or her.” The voice was Toji’s. 

Only, Tsuna could tell the man’s voice was strained, as if it had been grinded through a crushed pipe filled with pebbles. 

So he covered the man’s eyes with his hands. 

“Megumi, tell the doggies to go back ok?” Tsuna cooed softly. “And go apologize to Tsumiki. You shouldn’t have yelled at her, it’s not her fault she can’t see them.”

“Why?”

“I will explain later.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

The child stared at him for a long silent moment before nodding. “Ok.”

Tsuna watched him run off and the dogs melted back into his shadow. He felt a pull on his good wrist that caused him to look down. 

Something dark swirled within Toji’s narrow green eyes. He pushed himself up on his elbow, which caused Tsuna to sit up.

“An inherited technique,” the man hissed as he wiped his face. “A damn inherited technique and a good one too. Fucking hell. Out of all things, it just _had_ to be the ten shadows?”

He was fussing. Tsuna knew that look. He knew that tension in the other man’s neck too well. 

“Toji-san,” Tsuna held Toji’s face in his hands as he forced the man to face him. “Look at me.”

"Fuck it," Toji cursed under his breath. “I told you we should have given him to the old bastards. It’s still not too late—”

Tsuna forced the man’s head down. 

“Listen to my heart beat.” His own eyes found the clock on the wall. “There’s nothing else. Nothing else.”

He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince himself or Toji. 

“The Zenins don’t have to know. As long as they don’t know they won’t care. Megumi can learn from books first. He’s still young and the basics are the same. We will find someone else to teach Megumi when he gets older. A shaman, a jujutsu sorcerer...we will find someone else and we will get rid of them after they are done if we must.”

Tsuna didn’t like the words that were coming out of his mouth. But he thought about what would happen to Megumi and he couldn’t stop himself. “Megumi doesn’t have to be a sorcerer. Having talent or not shouldn’t define what someone should or can do. Even if he is going to be one, he can’t be a Zenin.”

Toji did so much. He struggled so hard just to get free from the Zenin name. Tsuna couldn’t let Megumi fall into the same hell. He wouldn’t let it happen in a million years. 

“There’s no jujutsu here. No cursed spirits or blood heirs. Megumi doesn't have to live that life. _You_ don’t have to live that life.”

Tsuna knew those were just pretty words. Toji-san was strong but he was just one man. One man without cursed power. 

They need something else, something stronger if they want to protect the boy from that horrible fate. That was when a small part of Tsuna wondered if power and status within the non-jujutsu sorcerer’s society would do the trick. Sorcerer...they still have to live and eat, they still function within normal society and they still deal with non-sorcerers in business and in love.

If that was so, then will the Mafia’s name be enough?

Will _Vongola_ be enough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe "Heavenly Tyrant" is one of the editorial remarks towards Toji. It is on the Japanese version of the manga as "天与の暴君".
> 
> Also, it will probably still be a few chapters until we get to Toji meeting the KHR gang officially. Since the tenth generation guardians are mostly still kids, they probably won't be able to compare to the experienced jujutsu sorcerer (also, Gojo is Gojo, there is no explanation for Gojo). But I will try to keep the power scaling balanced within logic :)


	11. Dino - 1

10

Life at the Sawada House hasn’t been calm in a long time. Tsuna escaped an assasination attempt by a young assassin from China that called herself “I-pin”. She was a young girl about Lambo’s age with a braid and wore a red cheongsam with black kung fu pants. She was a human bomb that went off once the count down on her forehead reached one and Tsuna prayed to all the powers in the universe that she wouldn’t go off randomly.

After she figured out Tsuna wasn’t actually her target and stopped actively trying to murder him, she was a polite and friendly little girl. Even though she does get into some fights with Lambo, it was usually out of good intentions.

_But seriously, what is with the mafia and children?_

Child assassins?

Were they really that desperate?

He was starting to have doubts about letting Megumi into that environment. Toji-san wasn’t a good father but at least they could choose some decent schools without bloodshed and murders. 

Wait, didn’t Reborn say something about mafia schools before? Between his attempts to dodge Sasagawa Ryohei, Kyoko’s older brother, and his very “extreme” recruiting tactics for Tsuna to join the boxing club...Tsuna thought he remembered Reborn mentioning something along those lines. 

Tsuna wasn’t really sure. Half of his brain was refusing to acknowledge that there was a whole institution dedicated to mass-producing criminals. The other half was too fed up with Reborn’s attempts to drag him into all sorts of crazy circus shows.

Like now. 

Tsuna nearly had a heart attack when he saw the crowd of men in black suits surrounding his house. What was it this time? The stupid, almost soap opera like plot Reborn had in mind, he meant. Somehow his family had owned underground banks money and they are here to take away their house or force him and Nana into slavery? Did Reborn send a threat to the local yakuza and declared war in Tsuna’s name?

Actually, that last one wasn’t ever going to happen. Hibari-senpai‘s iron rule didn’t just encompassed Namimori middle, the whole Namimori was his turf. 

The men in black suits let him into the house when he told them his name. Somehow, Tsuna’s intuition told him that they don’t mean any real harm despite looking like...well, the mafia. 

“You’re finally back, Tsuna.” Reborn was sipping tea in Tsuna’s room. Besides him, there was an oddly expensive looking leather chair. Tsuna wasn’t sure how they even got it into his room, the size of that thing didn’t look like it could fit through his door.

“I have been waiting for you, Vongola’s next boss.”

A man’s voice came from behind that chair. It was lighter than Toji-san’s and smoother, as if it was drenched in honey. The chair turned around, revealing a blond man with brown eyes who grinned at Tsuna. He was a handsome one, a foreign romantic. 

“I’m Cavallone’s 10th boss, Dino.” He waved slightly as a greeting. “You’re not exactly what I expected. You don’t really have that aura and you look like you lack ambition.”

“Nice to meet you too, I’m Sawada Tsunayoshi.” Tsuna set his bag down and sat down besides Reborn. At least this Dino wasn’t trying to kill him, yet. That was always a good start. “Reborn, what is this meeting for?”

“Getting straight to the point I see,” the hitman mused as he got up to introduce Dino properly. “Dino was my first apprentice. I trained him to be the boss he is before I came here to tutor you.”

“That’s right,” Dino chipped in with a golden smile.

“Dino is a total klutz and unsuited to inherit the family name so his father asked for my help.” Reborn went on to explain how the man was only good when he had his subordinates around. 

Tsuna thought that it was a curious kind of situation, to be only able to function when you are surrounded by the presence of those that vowed to serve you and you promised to protect. But judging from the men’s smiles, he guessed that was just how their relationship worked. It was different from the big three of the jujutsu sorcerer families. The distinction between people based on inherited talent and positions were less clear.

In front of him, the discussion had shifted to why Reborn left his previous teaching job. 

“Reborn was insistent that he come to Japan so I had to let him go even though there is still a lot more I want to learn. Also, Vongola is the center for all of us allied families, so its things take priority.”

“I see...I don’t mind if you take him back, you know? In fact, please and thank you.” Tsuna wondered if this guy was some sort of masochist, because there was no other explanation for anyone to be able to put up with Reborn’s insane training for the long term.

The man laughed. “Reborn was right! You are exactly like how I was before, wishing that you had nothing to do with the mafia and everything. But careful, if you keep refusing…” Dino reached into his jacket and Tsuna immediately tensed up. “He will bite you—whoa!” 

Dino blocked the sharp end of the letter opener that Tsuna snatched off the desk with his watch. The pointed tip slides off the metallic watch, but not before leaving a dent. 

Tsuna blinked. His body had moved faster than his brain. 

“...A turtle?” the teen questioned hesitantly as he lowered his arm. Reborn was staring at Tsuna’s hands with a questioning look but he ignored it. He pretended like what he just did didn’t happen and casually set the letter opener down. 

“His name is Enzio.” There was a strange undertone to Dino’s words but the man still showed the turtle to him. “That was some speedy reaction. I guess you do have something in you.” 

“That was purely your imagination.” Tsuna ignored the other’s cringeful expression that said he knew Tsuna was spewing bullocks. “Will Dino-san be staying for dinner?” 

“Dino and his family members won’t be staying,” Reborn spoke up and that surprised both of his apprentices. “They need to check into their hotels.”

“Is that so? That’s too bad. You really need to try Mom’s cooking sometimes, Dino-san.” The words that were coming out of Tsuna’s mouth were meant to be polite and a courtesy for guests. Now, he didn't disliked Dino, he just wasn't comfortable with having a dozen men in black surrounding his house and inside his home. In the meantime, he was also glad that whatever Reborn was plotting probably doesn’t involve bombs or a battle of fists and guns. 

“Lambo! Stop!” I-pin’s voice came bursting through Tsuna’s bedroom door. He turned around and was met with Lambo juggling two hand grenades while the girl assassin chased after him.

“Lambo!” Tsuna shouted as he snatched the grenades and threw them out the window.

“Tsuna, Dino’s men are down stairs.” 

Reborn’s warning came too late. The grenades had already slipped out of his finger tips. 

_Shit!_

“Out of the way!” A hand pushed him to the side and a blur of gold and green leaped out the window. Dino ordered, “Duck!”

The men downstairs bent down in unison immediately. In mid-air, Dino held out a whip and swung both of the grenades higher into the air, where they exploded without harming anyone.

“Dino-san!”

Tsuna poked his head outside the window as the dust settled. 

“I’m fine!” the man shouted back. “Everybody is good too.”

The teen felt relief. Reborn was standing beside him and the baby hitman kicked him behind his knees. 

“A good mafia boss protects his family members. You still have a lot to learn, Dame-Tsuna.”

#

Their hotel was overlooking the city of Namimori. Dino leaned against the railing on the balcony as he stared out into the dazzling lights and buzzing night life of the city. 

“What do you think?”

Reborn was still in his suit. The baby hitman stood beside his apprentice as they each held a cup of whiskey in their hands. This wouldn’t usually be Reborn’s type of drink at this hour, not since his body was transformed into this cursed form. But honestly, lately he has just been in that kind of mood. 

“He certainly is different.” Dino placed a hand on his chin as he thought back to his encounter with Sawada Tsunayoshi. He didn’t believe Reborn at first when the hitman told him about the teen’s inconsistencies. But now that he has seen the boy in person...well, he can’t really blame Reborn. “Tsuna isn’t isn’t very similar to the old me isn’t he? He’d not a klutz and he certainly had training, even if he tried to hide it. Whatever delusional dimension the Young Lion was in when he wrote his report, it certain wasn’t reality.”

“Iemitsu is disconnected from his family,” Reborn admitted bitterly. He was going to have a word or two with the man the next time they met. Not just for making his job harder but also to smack a few senses into the man that didn’t even put in the effort to get to know his own son better. 

“Why did you call me over, Reborn? If it was just to introduce me to Tsuna, there are probably better times.” Dino stretched out his limbs. 

“But since I’m here already...the most important thing in a family is trust,” he stated with a thoughtful grin. “I’d like to meet and test Tsuna’s family members if I can. They are still children right? I’d like to see what they are made of.”

Reborn jumped down from the railing. “Actually, there’s someone I want you to go check out specifically.”

“Oh? A potential guardian for the tenth?”

“No.” Reborn handed him a piece of paper that contained a name at the top. “A possible confounding factor.”

Dino skimmed the page. “Heavenly Tyrant? Who is this?”

“That’s what I want you to find out.”

“You think this might be the guy that made Tsuna...Tsuna?” He wasn’t sure how to describe the boy. Tsuna looked normal on the outside. A teen without too much love for physical activities and most would even say he had a soft look, with a petite stature and large bambi eyes. Yet, the moment Tsuna felt threatened, it was as if a switch had been turned on. There was an unusual sharpness in the teen’s caramel eyes and his movements showed no hesitation. Something that can only be achieved with the right training and countless experiences of facing danger head on.

Which would have been impossible for a boy his age living a civilian life. Dino supposed Reborn was feeling a confused mix of feelings right now. It was good that Vongola Tenth already had training but that could also be his downfall. It is much harder to break habits than to install new ones after all. 

Reborn nodded in front of him so the young boss gave him a thumbs up signalling that he had this covered. 

“Dino,” Reborn called as he tiled the edge of his hat down. “Don’t engage too much and get out if things don’t look good.”

“This guy is that good?” He was curious. While he wouldn’t say that he was a top ranker in fighting ability among the mafia, as Reborn’s student he was pretty decent. And he would have his family members to back him up too.

“Just a hunch. Call it a killer’s instincts, if you must.”

Dino looked down at the paper again. There wasn’t much on it. Just the code name, a few of the kills the man had accomplished (and even Dino’s got to admit, whoever this Heavenly Tyrant was, he was one efficient and cold bastard), and a possible mediator to contact him.

Pursing his lips, Dino shoved the paper into his back pocket and went back into the room. He was going to get to find out if there really was a connection between this man and Tsuna. It wasn’t just because Reborn asked, but it was also for the sake of Cavallone and Vongola’s future.

Like he said, the most important thing for mafia families was trust. There was no way they would trust an ally if there was some mysterious force whispering thoughts into their ears, _especially_ when the candidate for their boss was so young. He sighed, the Vongola tenth generation was still too young, so it was up to them adults to do a little safeguarding.

But that doesn't mean he didn't want to join Reborn in giving Iemitsu a few pieces of their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toji still won't be meeting the KHR cast officially but he is on Reborn and Dino's radar. Now let's let the adults start to sort some things out.
> 
> AKA I think it will be fun so I'm writing it XD.
> 
> Also, life is busy at the moment so the updates might be slower, especially around Mondays and Tuesdays. Comments and kudos are always welcomed/appreciated! I do read them and take the advices seriously ;)


	12. Dino - 2

011

The Heavenly Tyrant was a hard man to find. 

Apparently, he only took jobs from very specific mediators and most of those people are scattered all over Japan. There was no pattern and the ones Dino managed to track down either had no idea where the man was or they were dead.

Missing, to be exact.

No bodies. Not a single trace of blood, tissues, or hair to be found.

He knew that the underground business was a tough market. Even for those that don’t work on the front lines, danger was always around the corner. But for so many of them to meet the same strange fate? That was worrisome.

As if all of them were cursed.

The most frustrating part was that his search brought him on something similar to a wild goose chase. He was running in circles and pointless loops. 

_Reborn, you really gave me a tough task to complete._ He didn’t know why he expected anything less. This was Reborn, the same spartan tutor that made him fight a bear.

 _Well, let’s hope this last guy can provide something good._

Dino looked up, there was a Korean man before him. He had a thin mustache and wore a plain black suit. At first glance, he looked like an average Joe. Just another nameless middle-aged man among the mundane crowd, going to his nine to five job and taking a smoke during his breaks.

Overall, this wasn’t a man that was a heavily hitter and it didn’t look like he was carrying either.

They were sitting at a more secluded area inside a cafe. Even though Dino couldn’t see them, he knew that his subordinates were scattered around the place, disguised as normal customers just in case. 

The man, he hadn’t given Dino a name, took a sip of his coffee and looked Dino in the eyes. “I must say I’m surprised. It’s not everyday I do business with Cavallone’s boss. You said you wanted information?”

“Yes, I was hoping you can tell me more about someone that goes by the name of ‘Heavenly Tyrant’.”

“Heavenly Tyrant...” Realization flashed across his eyes. There was something questionable in his voice but the man hid it by placing a smoke against his lips. “Well, that’s an odd request. I don’t think the likes of you would ever need services from a man like that.” 

“He’s a contracted killer isn’t he?” Dino leaned back into his seat. “I heard he’s good.”

“He _is_ good but also picky about requests. But so long as the money is in place, anything can happen.” The agent made a money motion with his hand. He was calm when he spoke and didn’t let anything telling slip on his face. “But you don’t want him to kill someone for you don’t you?”

Dino nodded. There was no point faking a job request. It was one thing if the men would take the bait, it was another thing to risk an innocent life. He had heard some concerning things about this clique of people. They were different from the mafia members with flames or the illusionists...but they had power, power that could even be described as the supernatural kind by those that feared them.

 _Like a curse._

“I wanted to know what kind of person he is.” And then he and Reborn could decide what they will do. It was better if this man had absolutely no association to Tsuna but it couldn’t help to be more careful. They would always be better off with more information than less.

Somehow that hit a funny spot with the man because he burst out laughing. “I’ve decided a long time ago that I was only ever going to get involved with him either in work or in hell. That’s the type of man this Heavenly Tyrant is if that’s what you’re looking for.”

_That didn’t sound good._

True, it wasn’t much to go on but Dino could already sense the possibility running through his head. A madman with a head filled with gruesome logic? An unreliable bastard that sways and betrays at the first sight of danger? There were countless reasons why someone would be shunned by even their agent. 

“What about children? Are there any rumors about him and children?” That was Dino’s main concern. If Tsuna had been involved with this man, they needed to know. 

That question took the man by surprise. His mouth sagged for a moment before he said, “I don’t think he swings that way but who am I to judge? I am the mediator, I connect him to the jobs and I get paid. That’s all I do. I don’t give a dime about who he drops his pants with.” 

“Ah, I didn’t mean it like that...” Dino felt himself getting a little flustered but he hid it under a cold mask. Now _that_ was a possibility that never even crossed his mind. Or maybe it did but he didn’t want to consider it. Tsuna was Reborn’s student and the possible future boss of an allied family. Dino liked to consider the young teen as a little brother of some sort, family without blood relations...and his stomach doesn’t sit well with the images the mediator’s words had implanted in his brain.

The agent sighed. He chewed on the butt of his cigarette as he scratched his head. 

“Look, I still got a reputation to uphold as a third party agent. I can’t just give out the contact information for my network, not even if you mafia held a gun to my head. But for the price you’re paying, I am willing to tell you this...” He scribbled something on his notebook and ripped it out. “Go check this place out, if you’re lucky then you might find something.”

“Thank you.” Dino slipped him an envelope containing his pay then took the paper.

Once the man left, Dino unfolded the crumpled paper and saw that it contained one address.

For a nightclub in Saitama city.

#

The nightclub the agent directed him to wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. It was a medium-sized place where people went to let loose. They had some good liquor and the bartender didn’t pry too much. Crowds of people come and go, bumping and swaying into each other as they danced to the rhythm of the fast pop songs playing from the speakers.

Women with heavy makeup and short skirts, men with loose hands and colognes...there simply wasn’t anything or anyone that would catch his attention. 

It was probably a bust tonight too. Dino sighed. He mentioned for Romario to pay for the bill and grabbed his jacket, ready to leave.   
The flashing lights inside the nightclub painted his world in a strange hue of colours. 

That was when he saw him.

A man. One that wasn’t much older than him sat alone in the quiet corner. He had raven hair, thin eyebrows, and a face that would be adored by women. With his black shirt and pants, the man was one with the shadows. Blink once and you will never notice he was even there. He didn’t look like he was dressed for a wild night of fun, not when his clothing were baggy and plain. But even as he sat there, with his back hunched and slippers on his feet, Dino could tell he was strong.

He had no doubt underneath those plain clothing, there would be a body with muscles that looked like they were curved to mirror the great heroes in epics. 

But that wasn’t what attracted Dino’s attention. No, his focus was on the scar on the right side of the man’s mouth.

Black hair. In his twenties to thirties. A scar on his mouth.

This man met all of Reborn’s criteria and he was sitting in the bar the mediator directed Dino to. 

Romario and the others approached Dino but he held out a hand, mentioning for them to back off. While still holding his jacket in his arms, Dino slid into the seat next to the man. Upon closer inspection, Dino saw that the man had green eyes, a bright green that looked nearly poisonous. The lines of his jaw were hard and there was a certain kind of gleam in his eyes. One that didn’t signalled good faith. 

“I’m not interested in men,” the man suddenly said as he drank another shot the bartender passed him. The yellow liquor moved inside his cup as he swirled it slightly.

Dino raised an eyebrow. “I’m not here for that. Are you the Heavenly Tyrant everybody is talking about?”

“Heavenly—Is that what they are calling me on that side now?” he laughed but Dino could tell there wasn’t much kindness to his tone. The man’s eyes scanned him over and Dino felt like he was being sized up by a serpent before it striked. “That tattoo on your arm...Bucking Horse Dino? The Italian?”

“One and only.” But a good mafia boss doesn’t back off. He couldn’t give his opponent the upper hand or even the appearance of one. 

“So what does the mafia want with me? I don’t think any of you have been on my targets list lately. Oh, I think I did break some guy’s knee the other day but he was kind of asking for it. That idiot’s not one of yours is he?” He was baiting Dino, trying to force some kind of reaction out of him. 

Dino shook his head and called for the bartender to give him something too. “I was just curious. They say you’re very good at what you do, almost superhuman.”

The Heavenly Tyrant set his cup down. “Heh, I don’t associate myself with the mafia. I’ll take a job if you’ve got the greens but otherwise? No thanks.”

“Fair enough,” Dino muttered into his drink. “What are you doing in a place like this? You certainly aren’t dressed for a party.”

“Just wanted a drink. A woman 's good too if the opportunity comes up.”

He sounded like any regular man. Not even mafia men. Just a regular single man wasting his nights away with women and booze.

“I could ask you the same though,” the man focused his gaze on Dino. “What’s the boss of an Italian criminal organization doing here?” 

“Business and visiting an old friend.” Dino didn’t falter as he held the man’s stare. “Maybe I will even do some sightseeing. Ever been to a place called Namimori? I heard it’s a quiet town. Nice place, nice people, and good sushi.” He heard the last part from Reborn.

He had hoped the name of Tsuna’s hometown would spark some kind of reaction but the man before him remained stoic as he paid for his drink. “Is that so? Doesn’t sound like my kind of place then. Won’t get any good businesses there.”

The man got up and left the nightclub. Dino signaled for Romario and the others to back off before they could block the man. It wouldn’t do them any good to cause a scene indoors.

He followed the Heavenly Tyrant out the back door and immediately tilted his head back as something slashed through the air. The brick wall behind him had a chip in it around the height of where his head should be. Dino got his whip out as he frowned at the glistening sword pointed towards him. It wasn’t large and its blade was thin. It was hard to imagine how it could form such a deep damage on the wall. 

He was fast. Dino raised the man’s threat level up as he gripped his whip tight. Also... _Where did that sword come from?_

“So, ready to talk properly? Cavallone’s tenth boss?” The Heavenly Tyrant had a smirk on his face as he bounced up and down lightly as if warming up for battle. “What do you want?”

“What do you know about Vongola Decimo?”

“The tenth Vongola?” There was surprise in his voice as he ran a thumb over the scar on his lips. “I thought the heir was dead? E something was his name wasn’t it? Got shot in a gunfight. What does that have to do with me? It’s not like I put that bullet through him. I don’t do things for free.”

The words were cold but they were rational. Dino couldn’t tell if he was playing dumb or really didn’t know anything. Only, he didn’t have time to think too deep as the man suddenly vanished in front of him.

No, not vanished.

Dino’s whip lashed out and it hit something in the air above him. The sky was darker. Looking up, he saw the falling form of his opponent. The man was pushing Dino’s whip back down with sheer force. 

He dodged out of the way as the sword embedded itself into the concrete. There was a wild grin on the Heavenly Tyrant’s face as something smaller shot past Dino’s ear. It drew blood, not a lot but Dino still felt a twinge of pain from his earlobe. 

“Ah!” The scream behind him caused him to glance back. A short dagger had cut into one of his subordinate’s shoulders. He couldn’t tell if the damage was bad from his angle. 

“Romario! Get everyone to stay back!” he shouted an order as he heard footsteps closing in. 

Dino’s whip extended, it shot through the air and went straight for the enemy’s neck. Only, at the last moment Dino flicked his wrist and it changed directions, twisting around for the back of the man’s head. It almost caught his opponent off guard. Keyword: Almost. As if he had eyes on his back, the Heavenly Tyrant ducked just in time and narrowly escaped the wrath of his whip. 

Still smiling, the killer grabbed the whip as it retracted. He pulled with such force that it caused the surprised Dino to lose balance and fell forward. Dino raised his arm to his face in time as an elbow smashed into his head. 

Shots were fired. Dino noticed the man jumping back a few steps as the bullets rained onto the spot he was standing a second ago.

“Boss!”

“Don’t come close! Don't shoot!”

Dino wiped the blood running down his nose away. His head hurt as a dull pain radiated within his skull. Was it a concussion? To be able to inflict this much damage even though Dino had deflected most of the force was impressive.

Which meant, the killer’s attacks held more force than his eyes led him to believe. 

This was a tough opponent and something told him that numbers won’t make much of a difference on the man. It just gave him more targets to choose from.

That was when he noticed the sword in the Heavenly Tyrant’s hand was different. Wider, thicker, a completely different blade.

But his opponent stopped. He didn’t charge at Dino with that insane grin any longer. Instead, the man looked annoyed. 

“Killing you would cause a problem wouldn’t it?” he asked with visible disappointment. “I don’t really care what is going on with you mafia, but I sure as hell don’t like people prying into my business. Look, I didn’t murder that Vongola brat and I certainly have no intention of ever mingling with you mafia too much.”

 _Huh? So he still thinks that this was about Enrico?_ Dino frowned. It was as if this man really had no idea why they approached him. 

Still, he prepared to fight. “Did you think you can get out so easily after attacking the Cavallone?”

“On the contrary, I am _letting_ you go because you are Cavallone.” He licked his lips and shrugged. “You might be big in Italy but this is Japan. Thousands of people disappear every year. Don’t come messing with the wrong crew if you don’t want to add to that number.”

With that, he vanished into the night for real this time.

"Boss! Are you alright?" his men asked when they ran up to him.

Dino took the tissue paper from his subordinates to stop the nose bleed. His man that got hit by the dagger was fine. It didn’t hit anything major.

And that had Dino even more concerned.

The Heavenly Tyrant was every bit the rumor said he was. Powerful, a weapons master (he still had no idea where the swords and daggers came from), and clever. He obviously wasn’t a man driven by complete violence or that chase for an adrenaline rush. His head was clear in a fight and he was experienced. He was efficient, almost too efficient. There was not a move that he made that didn’t have a meaning behind it. Even as they battled, he still had the leisure to plan out his warning and escape.

Yes, a warning was what that was.

He knew when it was enough, when it was time to pull out, and he left enough of a mark that made sure Dino wouldn’t chase him. 

Dino hadn’t used his flames but the man probably didn’t pull out all of his aces yet either. It would be a hard battle to win and Dino wasn’t going to do that on foreign land. The politics and diplomatics with the local government and the gangs would be an ass to deal with.

In the end, he sighed as he ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair. It doesn’t look like this man knew Tsuna, so at least there was still some good news out of this mess. Right now though, he just hoped whatever secrets his little mafia brother was harboring was less dangerous to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saitama: In the manga it mentioned Megumi's middle school was in Saitama so he probably grew up around those parts.
> 
> Also, I don't know the mediator's name in English. I think in one of the extras or side notes it was mentioned that he was Korean and used to be a cop though.


	13. Bianchi - 1

12

The moment Tsuna opened the front door to his house, he wished he hadn’t. 

There was a girl outside his door. A slightly older girl with long pale pink hair and pretty features upon porcelain skin. She wore a tight sleeveless white top and jeans that showed off the curves of her body and there was a very faint smile on her lips.

 _Trouble._

“Pizza delivery,” she said.

“...We didn’t order any?” Tsuna felt like he should slam the door in her face. Toji-san would probably do that but Tsuna would feel bad if he did. He really hoped she had the wrong door but something in his guts told him she came specifically for him.

 _Trouble._

Of course she wasn’t listening. She took out a gas mask and placed it on her face before opening the cardboard box. He couldn’t describe what he smelled but as soon as Tsuna caught a whiff of what was in the box, he felt his vision went black. In that brief moment of complete blankness, he was sure he saw the Sanzu river, where his dead grandparents were waving at him from across the red water.

He backed away immediately as he heard something shot past his head. The box the girl was holding flew out of her hands and landed on the sidewalk. A pile of black and purple mesh spilled out and caused the birds flying by to drop to the ground.

Dead. 

Tsuna felt something heavy landed on his head and caused him to stumble forward a bit. Reborn had used his head as a stepping platform before landing on ground gracefully. 

“Ciaossu, Bianchi.”

“Reborn,” the girl greeted. 

“Reborn, who is this?” asked Tsuna as he rubbed his head. 

“This is Bianchi, a freelance hitman that specializes in poisonous cooking. She is known as the ‘Poison Scorpion’.”

“Ok...like any of that makes sense?” Tsuna muttered under his breath. Still, he tried to smile at the girl. “May I ask why you are here then?”

_And trying to kill me nonetheless._

She had tears in her eyes as she stared longingly at Reborn. “I’m here to bring Reborn back. A peaceful life doesn’t suit him.”

“Ah,” Tsuna got it. He knew that look on Bianchi’s face. It was the same look a lot of the women Toji-san dumped had. “Are you two…?”

Reborn nodded. 

“Bianchi was my fourth lover.” The tiny hitman turned to Bianchi and he said sternly, “I can’t go back with you. My job right now is to tutor Tsuna.”

Tsuna gave up on trying to come up with a response to that, _any_ of that. He merely inched further away from the hitmen. 

“Tenth! Would you like some watermelon? The guy at the market said they are supposed to be really sweet!” Gokudera’s voice came from outside and Tsuna was unsure if he should tell the other teen this wasn’t a good time or not. 

The silver haired teen stood outside his house while holding a watermelon but his smile dropped when Bianchi turned to face him. 

“...Big sis?”

A small sense of surprise crept onto the girl’s eyes. “Hayato.”

Within seconds, Gokudera’s whole face went pale and tinted green. He shoved the watermelon into Tsuna’s arms then apologized, “I’m sorry Tenth! I got to go!” 

“Gokudera-kun!” Tsuna yelled worriedly after him as Gokudera turned on his heels to run. The teen wasn’t looking at where he was going as he speeded down the street and bumped straight into someone around the corner.

“Oof,” Yamamoto rubbed his shoulder, where Gokudera had run right into. “Oh, it’s Gokudera.”

“Yamamoto-kun?” Tsuna asked, surprised to see his classmate here.The baseball star had been warming up to Tsuna after the incident on the school rooftop. He would come by and join Gokudera and Tsuna on their walks to schools and even started eating lunch with them. 

“Baseball idiot? Out of my way.” Gokudera cursed silently as he tried to get around the black haired teen.

Yamamoto flashed Tsuna a smile as he blocked Gokudera instinctively. “Hey, Tsuna My dad got some extra watermelons from our regulars so I thought I’d come share some with you.”

“That’s nice of you...”

Tsuna didn’t get to finish his sentence. Bianchi and Reborn walked closer to them and Gokudera went down clenching his stomach as if he had just been stabbed in the guts. 

“Gokudera-kun!”

“T-Tenth...” he called weakly. “I’m sorry you got to see me like this.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Reborn spoke up with amusement in his voice. “Bianchi and Gokudera are half-siblings, different mothers to be exact.”

“What does that have to do with how he is right now?” Tsuna patted the silver haired teen on the back, hoping it would at least help ease some of the...whatever this panic attack was.

He felt a hand around his wrist and Gokudera went on to tell a short tragedy about his childhood that involved Bianchi’s cooking through ragged breath and clenched teeth. Actually, Tsuna wasn’t sure if he could call that _cooking_ , not when every ingredient she touched turns into some squirmy black mess that moves. What kind of food still _moves_ after you kill it?

Tsuna felt some kind of sympathy for Gokudera so he invited him into his house to rest while Yamamoto helped carry all the watermelons in. As Gokudera laid on the living room floor with a cool wet towel over his face, Tsuna handed out cold water to everyone in the room. Bianchi had asked to use his kitchen. He had doubts about what she was going to do there but as long as it let her stay out of Gokudera’s sight then it was probably fine.

“It sure is hot today,” Yamamoto commented as he drained his water. 

As if on cue, Reborn hopped onto the table and grabbed the watermelons. “On a sunny day like this it isn’t good to just lounge around in the house and do nothing.” 

Tsuna didn’t like where this was going. In fact, he hadn’t liked anything that came out of Reborn’s mouth so far. “Reborn—”

“These melons need some time to get nice and icy anyways so let’s use the time to train. It will help the family members to bond too.”

“Family bond?” Gokudera sat up. “Yes, let’s do that Tenth!”

He had sparkles in his eyes and Tsuna was finding it hard to say no.

“What are we playing now?” Yamamoto had—still—thought Reborn was just playing a mafia game.

“It’s a mafia-style hide-and-seek. You will have to hide from the Its. Those that survived till the end get the watermelons.” Reborn placed both of the fruits into a kid’s pool Tsuna had set up in the backyard for I-pin and Lambo. He then turned on the hose to fill it with water. 

“And the loser has to eat Bianchi’s poisonous cooking.”

“Wait, Reborn—” That was suicidal!

“Ha,” Yamamoto laughed as he placed his hands on the back of his head. “Sounds fun, let’s do it.”

“Yamamoto—”

The dark haired teen hooked an arm around Tsuna’s shoulder as he smiled. “It’s fine, Tsuna. It’s like those prank shows where they mix vinegar and hot pepper into vegetable juice then the loser has to drink that right?”

Tsuna felt his headache returning. It seemed to be a constant thing whenever Reborn was around. “Wait a moment...Reborn, you said ‘Its’ right? Why the plural? There’s not enough of us.”

“Go outside and you will find out.”

Hesitantly, Tsuna poked his head over the bushy fence and saw about a dozen men circling the area like hawks. None of them looked friendly or pleasant to look at. The most striking features were their bulky muscles and menacing grins. 

“Momokyokai is a yakuza group around these areas. They are really into martial arts,” Reborn stated behind him. “Their hideout recently got trashed so they are looking for the culprit. See, they even have a drawing of what the culprit looks like.”

The paper in the hitman’s hand depicted a very amatuar version of Tsuna. The same brown hair, caramel eyes, and small frame. 

_FUCK._

“Are you insane? Why do you always have to pull extreme stuff like this?” he yelled at his supposed tutor. He was sure Reborn staged and planned all this. Tsuna doesn’t even care how the baby did it, all he knew was that he was in some deep fire because of it. 

“Things would be bad if they catch Tsuna so it is up to your family members to help protect the boss.”

“No one is going out there to play this stupid game. All we got to do is hide until they leave.” Tsuna refused to participate in something so utterly pointless and risky.

“But if you stay here, you might be attracting the danger into your own house.” The way Reborn said that irritated Tsuna to no ends. This was his home, where his mom was. There were also two kids sleeping upstairs and he’d hate it if any of them get dragged into this mess.

“Ok, don’t worry Tsuna. I’ve got your back,” Yamamoto promised as he stretched out his arms. 

“That’s my line, you baseball idiot!” Gokudera got up too and he was already digging out dynamites. “I’m the Tenth’s right hand so I will protect him with my life!”

Tsuna looked at both of them then down at Reborn.

“The yakuza only has a picture of me right?”

“That’s right.”

His lips moved. He tried. He really did. He tried with every ounce of will and power in his body but the words still came out. “Fuck you, Reborn.”

He even gave the hitman the finger.

#

Tsuna sighed as he perched upon a tree. He was sure no one knew these woods and hills like he did. These trees behind Namimori Elementary were like the back of his hand. 

He had split up with Yamamoto and Gokudera somewhere in the past hour of chaos. Since the yakuza men were only targeting Tsuna, it didn’t make sense for him to stay too close to them. They were...almost friends if Tsuna dared to say and he didn’t like getting people close to him in danger. Except for Toji-san, that was different. The man _was_ danger personified. 

“Fuck Reborn,” he cussed as he covered his forehead with his hand.

Beneath him, Gokudera dashed away as if there was a tsunami after him. He shouted something along the lines of “Tenth! Where are you?” and “Get the hell away from me!”

Tsuna peaked down, and there was Bianchi running after her half-brother with a plate of...something (he refused to call that ‘food’) in her hands. 

“Cute girl,” someone whistled as they sat down besides Tsuna. 

The teen rolled his eyes. “Toji-san, no.”

“What? I haven’t done anything.”

Tsuna only smiled at him sweetly until the man raised both of his hands in the air in a position of surrender. “Ok, I won’t show up within a six feet radius around her,” he pledged.

“Or any of the girls at my school.”

“Or any of the girls at your school. Geez, I still have _some_ principles and standards left you know?” The man leaned back against the tree trunk and there was a playful smile on his lips. He was in a simple black T-shirt and a pair of grey joggers today. Tsuna didn’t smell any blood on him so the man probably didn’t go on any jobs recently. 

“Sure you do,” Tsuna mocked sarcastically. “Megumi and Tsumiki?”

“Neighbor.” Toji extended his arms to Tsuna.

The Fushiguro’s neighbor was an elder lady with a full head of white hair. Her sight was bad but she could sing like a lark. She would watch the kids sometimes in exchange for them to help her do odd chores around the house. 

“The Cavallone’s tenth came to pay me a visit the other night. Know anything about it?”

“Dino-san?” 

He frowned. Reborn didn’t say anything about where his first apprentice had gone. He just assumed the man and his group had returned to Italy to run his family and all. 

But he should have known that nothing was ever simple with Reborn.

Tsuna scooted closer and dropped himself into the older man’s embrace. He could smell the sword oil and a very faint scent of gunpowder lingering on Toji.

It was nice. It kind of reminded him of when he was little and they were hiding from the Zenins at the main house. They’d watch the jujutsu sorcerers run around like headless chickens while remaining hidden behind the thick leaves on the trees. It was good for listening in on secrets too. 

“He came by to say Hi,” the teen explained. “He was Reborn’s first student.”

Toji hummed as he played with Tsuna’s hair. “How did that hitman know to look for me specifically?”

“I don’t know...”

_Wait._

“Mom.” Tsuna looked up into Toji’s green eyes. “Mom knows about you. Even if she does think that you were just an imaginary friend. Reborn must have gone to talk to her.”

“I’d like to stay imaginary if that’s the case,” Toji scuffed. “Still think I’m a stubborn idiot for not wanting to meet her in person all these years?”

“You didn’t know Reborn was going to happen.” Yeah, he was going to start using Rebron’s name as a synonym for trouble. “But why would they try to seek you out?”

“Because they want control,” Toji stated bluntly as he placed one hand behind his head while leaning into the trunk. He shifted so that they were lying in a more comfortable position on the tree branch. His left leg dangled off the branch to make room for Tsuna. “They want to get to know you. Your strengths and weaknesses, your thought patterns and everything else. They probably came in thinking they’d be dealing with a civilian kid that had absolutely no contact with the shadier side of the world. But you’re not it.”

The man didn’t look all that pleased but he still had a sly grin plastered on his lips. “And now they are trying to find the source of the problem—mainly, me.”

“Isn’t it a good thing that their candidate already knows their part though?” Tsuna would think that the Vongola would want someone that was already inclined towards the dark side. 

“Not when they don’t know the reason behind it. They are mafia. They are naturally suspicious of others. What if an enemy family somehow found you first and they have been whispering thoughts and grooming you to be a puppet? Then they’d be handing over their entire estate to the enemy with confetti and wine.”

Toji took the can of soda from Tsuna’s hand and drank it before Tsuna could stop him.

“Wait, Toj—”

The man spat out the drink. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as his face twisted like he had swallowed a whole lemon. 

“Tastes like shit. What is this?”

“That’s Bianchi’s poisonous cooking.” She had slipped it to him while he, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were taking a short break besides a vending machine. He almost drank it by accident. Almost.

Then the yakuza men came for him and they had to run. He forgot to throw it away as he dodged and hid from the adults. 

“Poisonous cooking? These mafia sure can get real creative. What’s wrong with a good old fashioned sword in the neck?”

Tsuna shrugged but he studied the man’s face carefully. “Are you feeling ok?”

“If my stomach can handle cursed spirits, I can deal with whatever she added into that drink. What the hell are you doing with this biohazard anyways?” Toji yawned as he threw the can of evil as far away as he could. Normally Tsuna would have slapped him for littering but he honestly doesn't want to be anywhere near that atrocious thing either. Its existence was an insult to chefs everywhere. 

“It’s hot today and the can was cold.” Tsuna patted the man’s abs as if checking that his guts wasn’t going to spontaneously combust or erode. “You really are a freak, Toji-san.”

“Ha,” the man laughed as he ruffled Tsuna’s hair. “That reminds me, they even gave me a new nickname. The ‘Heavenly Tyrant’! Got to say they definitely have more taste than the jujutsu sorcerers or shamans.”

“It’s still embarrassing. It sounded like someone my age was trying to come up with a new username for those anonymous online chats about battling cards.” He thought the Sorcerer Killer was bad but at least it was to the point. Yet Tsuna guess they couldn’t really use that name with those that have no knowledge of cursed spirits.

Toji ignored his comment. 

“How are those classmates of yours?”

Tsuna nuzzled his face into Toji’s chest. He didn’t really want to talk about it. He didn’t know _how_ to even start talking about it. 

All this time, he had been alone among his peers. He was always “Dame-Tsuna”, no good at anything and a burden to everyone else. He didn’t want Nana to know about the bullying or why he always came back with bruises and scratches over his body. She...even if she doesn’t say it Tsuna knew she missed her husband. The man was never home, never _here_.

Did she ever wonder what her husband was doing? Did she ever think he had abandoned them? Tsuna doesn’t know and he was afraid to ask. He was afraid all he would get was another forced smile. 

And Tsuna didn’t want to make her worry even more. He couldn’t. 

But his heart still felt twinges of pain whenever Nana attributed his scars to his clumsiness. The words and tears would threaten to pour out. Tsuna had felt out of place then, like he didn’t belong in his house or at school. That was why he ran to Toji’s whenever he could. At least, there he had a place. No one would chide or make fun of him for tripping over his own feet. 

Sure, Toji-san cursed a lot and didn’t really know how to deal with children. But he was always there to catch Tsuna if he fell. 

Tsuna felt weird. A light tingle spreaded through his heart.

He didn’t know why exactly. 

“...I like them. Sure, they are rowdy and sometimes they are a real pain. And they might fight a lot but I think they are actually getting along well?” He wasn’t all that confident in the last part but Tsuna didn’t mind it when Gokudera and Yamamoto came over. As long as Reborn wasn’t meddling or scheming something, it was actually nice to hang out with people his age once in a while. “It’s nosy but it feels nice, I guess.”

There was a short silence between them. Tsuna could hear the leaves rustling as the wind swept by. It sounded like the trees were crying. 

“Good for you,” Toji finally sighed as he pressed Tsuna’s head down. “What are you going to do about Reborn then?”

“He will give up soon.” Tsuna was sure they would have to find someone else if he kept refusing. He wasn’t cut out to be a leader, let alone being the head of a mafia family. Also, Tsuna knew he wouldn’t be a good one.

He wasn’t someone that could choose the greater good over those he cared about. He couldn’t throw the ones close to him away like pawns in a game for the sake of victory. 

Reborn would have to accept that and leave eventually.

Hey, there was still his dad. If it really comes down to it, the man can probably do it. No matter what those rules said, if they were desperate enough, they’d do it.

“Megumi’s got the two dogs under full control now.” Toji’s voice came from above him. “He can summon them for longer too. Twenty minutes before the nose bleed starts. He’s going to train with some fly heads this weekend.”

“This soon?”

“It’s the Ten Shadows. He can do it.” There was a kind of carelessness in the man’s voice. He wasn’t wrong though. It _was_ the ten shadows. The one technique that was said to be able to rival the Gojo’s Limitless. “Want to join?”

Tsuna thought for a moment. He could probably sneak away from Reborn if he tried hard enough. Also, he didn’t want to leave Megumi’s training fully with Toji-san. He was sure it was going to become one of the kid’s childhood traumas if he did. 

So, he said, “Yeah, count me in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to write down some thoughts:
> 
> 1\. I don't think Iemitsu is a completely horrible person. He does feel like a great boss, a wonderful subordinate, and a loyal family member/friend in canon. And I think he had good intentions. He stayed away from his family in order to protect them. But he is a shitty father and husband precisely because of this. He thinks, expected, a good relationship with Tsuna when he didn't put in the effort to maintain a bond. 
> 
> 2\. This Reborn is actually slightly less extreme than the canon version in my mind. He still didn't have a chance to hit Tsuna with the Dying will bullet and Dino's out gathering info on Toji so he didn't send Yamamoto and Gokudera directly to the belly of the beast. He still testing Tsuna out while focusing on helping him form bonds with potential family members.


	14. Fuuta - 1

13

 _The mafia definitely has a problem with children._ Tsuna concluded as he brought a tray of snacks and drinks into his room. 

His usually near empty bedroom was now filled with a variety of things that don’t necessarily belong to him. Besides Reborn’s random stash of weapons and whatever Lambo littered around the house (he even found a pitch fork, don’t ask), there were manga books, baseball equipment, textbooks, and school supplies all over the place. 

Yamamoto and Gokudera come around a lot lately. They would bring sushi or snacks and the three of them would study or joke about things that happened in school. When they weren’t around, Tsuna would play video games with Lambo and I-pin. He still helps his mom with the house chores and sometimes Bianchi would try to cook with them. Not poisonous cooking...it was normal cooking.

But the results were difficult to describe. Gokudera wasn’t kidding when he said Bianchi turned every ingredient she touched into a monstrous evil that looked like they were blessed by special grade cursed spirits.

It took everything Tsuna had in him to stop her from trying to have Nana give it a test taste.

His life now was lively and loud but it wasn’t bad. Tsuna actually kind of liked it. He still found time to sneak over to the Fushiguros. Tsuna would play with the kids and cook them some food that can be stored in the fridge. All they have to do is microwave it when they get hungry. Megumi’s training with the shikigamis was going well. Even though he would fall asleep if he summoned them for too long, he was lasting longer and longer. 

However, Tsuna hadn’t seen Toji-san in a while. Aside from the occasional texts signaling the man was still alive out there, Tsuna hadn’t received much word on his whereabouts. Before Tsuna left the Fushiguros, he gave Old Mrs. Tanaka some money in exchange for her to take care of the kids while he wasn’t there. 

“Tenth!” Gokudera stood up when Tsuna opened the door. “Let me get that for you.”

Tsuna passed him the large tray. “Thanks, Gokudera-kun.”

“Hey, Tsuna! Did you figure out question three yet?”

Yamamoto was sitting on the ground with their math homework laid out in front of him. He scratched his head while a sheepish smile was on his face. He hadn’t been very invested in class so they were kind of going at the assignments blindly. 

“I haven’t.” Math was never his strong suit. No matter how many dynamites or trigger bombs Reborn set up around him, his brain simply couldn’t register the logic behind those symbols. 

“Hey Baseball idiot! I told you a dozen times already that you have to use this equation for a question like this. Were you even listening?” Gokudera slammed his fist on the table when he saw the mess scribbled on Yamamoto’s paper.

“But I thought this way would work too. And Gokudera’s explanation was too hard to understand.” Yamamoto had a rather innocent look on his face as he continued to write down the wrong formula.

“What did you say? You shi—” 

“Gokudera-kun, there are children around!” Tsuna blocked the other’s mouth with his hands. It was true, they weren’t alone. 

A boy. He was younger, only about nine years old if Tsuna were to guess. This new boy had light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a striped scarf and carried a huge book with him as he sat on Tsuna’s chair. 

“Tsuna-Nii’s and his friends are funny,” he commented with a smile. 

Tsuna had met him on his way from school and somehow with Reborn’s meddling he had ended up taking the strange boy back home with him. There were some weird looking men in striped suits looking for the young boy and Tsuna didn’t particularly like the air they gave off. They felt like the men he had encountered while he went out with Toji-san during the night. 

There was greed and ill intention in their eyes.

Then they ran into Yamamoto and Gokudera, who beat the adults up easily. They were good, surprisingly good and Tsuna felt proud to be able to call them ‘friends’.

“I’m sorry,” he bent down to meet the boy at eye level. “But who are you?” 

“I’m Fuuta de la Stella,” the boy introduced himself.

Gokudera jumped out of his seat. “No way! You’re the ranking kid?”

“Umm...you know him, Gokudera-kun?” This couldn’t be leading to anything good considering where Gokudera came from. 

“Fuuta is an informant, his rankings are 100% accurate.” Reborn appeared by dropping down from the ceiling. Tsuna doesn’t know when he installed all these ninja-like hidden doors and fake walls around his house. “Because of it, a lot of people in the underground society would like to get their hands on his book that contains all the rankings.”

“So what are you doing here then?” Tsuna asked Fuuta. 

“You are Vongola’s tenth aren’t you? Please help me!” The boy threw himself into Tsuna’s embrace. He had watery eyes as he stared up at Tsuna’s face. “Out of 872 mafia bosses, you place first in the inability to turn down requests by children.”

“That sounds like a horrible reasoning to come running to a stranger for help.” Tsuna looked away and tried to push the boy off gently. “What if I tried to take your book too?”

“But you also placed first in lack of ambition, so you wouldn’t hurt me just to get the information.”

 _Damn, this kid’s rankings were good._ While Tsuna wouldn’t say that he had a heart of stone, he does have a very soft spot for children. 

“It would be dangerous to throw a weak little animal out to the wild, wouldn’t it?” 

And here comes Reborn’s devilish whispers.

“Him, alone, out there in the open. With no protection against all the carnivores and predators.”

“Reborn—” Tsuna started as he rubbed the bridge of his nose but he felt the thin arms around his waist tighten. 

“Please~” Fuuta begged as he pressed his face into Tsuna’s chest. The teen’s body was rigid as he fought and resisted against patting the child on the back like he does whenever the Fushiguro kids would run to him. Usually away from their father.

He struggled for a few more minutes before finally caving. He couldn’t just let this kid go while knowing full well of the dangers waiting for him outside. 

Tsuna coughed as his shoulders sagged. “Fine, he stays.”

The young boy cheered and smiled brightly at Tsuna, who couldn’t help but mirror the grin. 

“It’s not everyday you get the chance to find Fuuta in person,” Reborn suddenly jumped up onto Tsuna’s shoulder. “Why don’t you get some rankings too?”

“That’s fine with me,” Fuuta answered as he got his book ready.

“Let’s do it, Tenth!” Gokudera moved in closer. “I’ve got a question that I want to ask the ranking kid for a while now.” 

Yamamoto laughed as he went over to take a look at Fuuta’s book. “Sounds interesting. Is this another game?”

“What?” someone asked from outside his room. “It sounds like you guys are doing something fun here! Is it a new type of fortune telling?”

Haru poked her head through Tsuna’s door. Their initial meeting had been based on a misunderstanding and somehow now they were on pretty alright speaking terms. The girl was sort of strange but she had good intentions and she was a cheerful person. 

She kind of reminded Tsuna of Yuu in a weird way. 

“Haru-kun? What are you doing here?” he questioned.

“I was passing by and thought I would help Mama bring in the clothing before it starts to rain.”

Nana didn’t mind her son’s friends calling her “Mama”. In fact, Tsuna thinks she loves it when he brings people home, even if they were a quirky and strange group of teenagers.

“Oh...you didn’t have to do that.”

Haru let herself inside. She sat down from across Fuuta and pointed to herself. “Tell me my fortune then? What is the number one thing Haru likes about Tsuna-kun?”

Fuuta nodded and he looked up. Tsuna didn’t know what he was searching for but the boy’s eyes seemed to reflect the whole galaxy. Then the things in his room started to float into the air as if gravity had suddenly gone on strike.

Tables, books, pens...everything went flying. 

“Whoa!”

“This is amazing!” Yamamoto and Haru were both laughing. 

“Haru-san likes Tsun-Nii’s gentleness the most,” Fuuta said but his voice didn’t sound entirely like his own. The boy’s feet were slightly off the ground too and Tsuna worried if he should start moving the things in the air out to his room just in case they come crashing down.

“Lambo-sama wants his fortunes too!” 

Tsuna looked up. Lambo and I-pin were swimming through the air. “L-Lambo!” he stuttered as he tried to pull the kids down but wasn’t tall enough to reach them. 

Fuuta complied. “Lambo’s ranked the most annoying out of all the mafia members.”

The kid in a cow’s onesie looks hurt by those words. Tsuna and the others let out a few chuckles.

“I’m next!” Gokudera pushed the floating kid out of his face. “Fuuta, for the ranking of people suitable to be the Tenth’s right hand, where do I place?”

“Hayato-Nii’s ranking is...out of range. But you do place number 1 as the most suitable to be a kindergarten teacher.”

“What?”

Now that was a shocker to all of them. Tsuna tried to imagine Gokudera with kids and...let’s just say most of it was explosives going off, both literally and metaphorically.

“You guys are wasting this opportunity.” Bianchi’s voice came from above them. She looked like a ghost bride out of a horror movie with her hair flaring in every direction. “Let’s do a ranking on who loves who. Love is the most important thing after all.”

“I don’t think that is—”

But his objection was ignored by everyone else. 

“For Tsuna-Nii’s love ranking, the number one candidate is...” Fuuta started and Tsuna’s heart was at his throat. “...Gyokuken.”

“Jade dogs…?” Gokudera looked stunned. Confusion took over his excited features as he pondered. “Who’s that?”

“Are you talking about Hiro sensei’s keychain set? He’s got two jade dogs on that,” Yamamoto offered.

Hiro sensei was their math teacher. An old man with a mild temper and no hair. He does adore those jade dogs on his keychain a lot. Supposedly they were a gift his son bought with his first paycheck.

“Haru lost to something like that?” the black haired girl opened the curtains and sighed. “I feel like it’s raining inside my heart too.”

“Rain?”

Everything dropped to the ground. They came crashing down as Tsuna caught the two kids and everyone dodging the fallen objects. 

Fuuta shrunk into the corner. He looked like he had his spine pulled out of him and his limbs went limp. The boy laid sideways on the ground with a frown on his face. “My ranking gets messed up when it rains.”

“Oh, so all the rankings after it started to rain was wrong then?” Gokudera looked excited. “That means I still have a chance to be the Tenth’s number 1 right hand man, don't I?”

“Gokudera-kun...” Tsuna didn’t know if he should be happy about the other teen’s devotion. He didn’t need a right hand man. He would be happy if they could stay friends.

“Tsu-kun!” Nana yelled from downstairs. “Dinner’s ready!”

“Coming!” 

Dinner was getting crowded and messy. Yamamoto’s hearty laughs mixed with Gokudera’s shouting. Lambo and I-pin fought about who gets the extra piece of shrimp while Bianchi longingly tended to Reborn’s request for one more bowl of rice. Fuuta complimented Nana on her cooking and the housewife was giggling. She promised to make something he likes for dinner tomorrow. 

“Hey Baseball idiot, stop taking the things I want to eat!”

“Haha, Gokudera is too slow.”

“Lambo! You’re spilling the water!”

Tsuna sat in the middle of their lively conversations with a faint smile. He liked this actually. His mom was definitely enjoying it too.

Still, there was a part of Tsuna that couldn’t let him join in completely. 

As he ate, he couldn’t help but think of Megumi and Tsumiki. Mrs. Takana was old and she visited the hospital frequently. If she went on for her doctor’s visit, the Fushiguro kids would have to eat at home by themselves. 

Alone.

With microwaved food or some store bought cold bento. Suddenly the food in his mouth doesn’t taste as good any more.

“What’s wrong, Tsuna-Nii?” Fuuta slipped a chopstick full of meat into Tsuna’s bowl. “If you don’t hurry up, the meat will be gone.”

“It’s nothing.” Tsuna shook his head as he smiled. “Thank you, Fuuta.” 

Tsuna finished his dinner in silence. He decided that he was going to need to go find Toji-san if the man still didn’t come home this weekend. 

#

While everyone else in the Sawada House was preparing to go to bed, Reborn went out into one of the phone booths on the street. It was dark out and the street lamps around these parts don’t really work. He dialed in a number and the other side immediately picked up. 

“Ciaossu,” he greeted. “How is the search going, Dino?”

“I found him.”

“And?” That was faster than Reborn had expected.

Dino mentioned for Romario to keep driving. “The Heavenly Tyrant indeed does live up to his nickname. He’s strong and fast, smart too. We got into a fight but he got away.”

The blond mafia boss thought back to his encounter with the man. His eyebrows knitted into a knot as he felt his head throbbed from just remembering the feeling of having an elbow smashed into his face. “He’s got dark hair and a scar on the right side of his mouth but he thought we were after him because of Enrico. He denies having anything to do with Enrico’s death and didn’t react when I mentioned Namimori either.”

Reborn’s expression darken at that. True, it wasn’t a secret that Enrico’s dead. Anyone with a foot in the underground businesses would know about it unless they’ve been living under a rock. But that also meant this person _was_ indeed from a dark and troublesome background. “So he doesn’t have any connection to Tsuna?”

That would be the best scenario. For them and for the Ninth, at least.

“I doubt it. It doesn’t look like he’s someone that has the patience to deal with children. I went to do some more digging just in case. I can’t find anything on him before he became the Heavenly Tyrant but there’s something special about his clique of people. I think you should know.”

Somehow, Reborn doesn't really believe Dino. Fuuta's ranking today made him wary. The rain might have messed with his ability but his rankings weren't usually completely random. He checked when the rain had actually started and realized it started right before Fuuta uttered his answer. That didn't sit well with Reborn. If Fuuta's ranking had already narrowed down before the answer got jumbled then "Gyokuken" was probably someone or something Tsuna knew in real life.

Call him suspicious, but his killer's instinct was screaming at him as loud as it could.

Still, he asked, “What is it?”

“Shamans,” Dino answered but he didn’t really understand it himself. “He has very deep ties with the shamans. I’m not sure if these people are con artists or cult leaders but they are collectively known as shamans around Japan. The Heavenly Tyrant somehow pulled his weapons out of thin air when we fought too.”

“Shamans?” Reborn knew there were people with unique abilities all over the world. Not all of the strongest were flame users, it just happened that Vongola managed to stay on top with the way they run things. 

It wasn’t like those people had a lot of ambition anyways. They were more like loose grains of sand. Everyone desired something different and they couldn’t agree on one leadership since everyone had unnatural powers.

He suddenly remembered the information dealer from the bar. _“Like a curse,”_ he had warned. Was that what the man had meant then?

“Thank you Dino,” he finally told his former student. “I think that will be enough for now, you and your men can go back to Italy. It won’t do you too well if you stay here for too long.”

“No problem,” Dino laughed. “Anything for my mafia little brother. It's beneficial for both the Cavallone and Vongola too. But I will say this before I go...” his voice got quieter and Reborn had to focus hard to distinguish his next words from the sound of traffic in the background. “That Heavenly Tyrant is bad news all around. That’s not someone the Vongola should keep close or as an enemy.”

Reborn stayed silent. He didn’t like what the young mafia boss was implying. 

“I don’t trust him. He is not a man of loyalty. At least, I can’t imagine him being a good addition to any famiglia.”

Meaning, even if Reborn or Vongola’s Tenth run into him in the future, it was better for them to never try to recruit the man. Unstable. A ticking bomb ready to go off. Reborn couldn’t let that happen.

He won’t let it happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gyokuken = Jade/Divine dogs. They are Megumi's dogs that he summoned out of his shadow. 
> 
> I don't really know how Fuuta's rankings worked so I'm going off on what I think is logical here (haha). Also, I'm not really sure how long this story is going to be. There's still a lot I want to write (ten years+, the inheritance ceremony, JJK's plot...etc) so thanks in advance for everyone that decided to stick with this :)


	15. Kokuyou - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sticking close to canon. I feel like Mukuro's arc is a pretty big turning point for Tsuna and the gang in canon.
> 
> Also, is it Fuuta or Futa? I'm sure I saw both versions before...maybe my memory is playing tricks on me?

14

Sasagawa Ryouhei was in the hospital.

When Tsuna first heard the news from Hibari, he didn’t know what to think. Sure, the boxing club president was sort of extreme with his training but he had a good heart. He was also Sasagawa Kyoko’s older brother. Tsuna and the girl were actually on pretty good speaking terms and he can’t imagine how worried she was right now. 

He liked her. Not in a romantic way but she was like Nana. Always kind and could see the best in people despite everything else. 

Ryouhei was in bad shape. He had his teeth knocked out and a few broken bones but he was still conscious and talking. That was already better than some of the other victims. 

Someone or someones were attacking the students from Namimori Middle. It started with the perfects in the disciplinary committee, then slowly, regular students were getting the brute of it too. At this rate, he doesn’t think he will be able to sneak past Nana on the weekend if he wanted to go over to the Fushiguros. 

Tsuna went out to the hospital lobby while Kyoko and Ryouhei talked. Reborn was with him, talking about how maybe Tsuna should take Nana’s suggestion to learn some self-defense classes. Tsuna didn’t think he needed them. If the enemy was strong, he doesn’t think a few amateur classes in martial arts will help a lot. It might even be better if he used that time to train to run faster. Besides, he couldn’t think of any better teacher for self-defense than Toji-san. Maybe when the man shows up again, he will ask him for some pointers.

Tsuna went to get a drink from the vending machine, but the change fell out of his hand and rolled along the clear white tiles. Someone picked it up for him.

“Thank you,” he said as he looked up. “Kusababe-senpai?”

In front of him was the assistant head of the disciplinary committee. The tall and bulky teen had a well gelled up airplane head and he was chewing a piece of grass in his mouth. If going by looks alone, you’d think he was some 80s delinquent on the streets. 

“Sawada,” he greeted as he handed Tsuna back the coins. Tsuna was kind of surprised that the perfect still remembered his name. “You came to see Sasagawa?”

“Yeah, umm...I heard whoever it is they are attacking the normal students indiscriminately.”

“Don’t worry,” the taller teen patted Tsuna on the shoulder. “No one has see the Head recently. He probably went to take care of the source of all this trouble. Things will be back to normal in no time.” 

“Hibari-senpai?” Tsuna felt relief. If Hibari was on this then they wouldn't have to worry about anything. “That’s good! There’s no way Hibari-senpai would lose in a fight.”

Kusababe smiled and bid him goodbye. He still had to keep the whole disciplinary committee and Namimori middle functional while Hibari was away.

Tsuna bought the drinks and went back to Ryouhei’s hospital room. He didn’t stay for too long though. It didn’t feel like his place to intrude on their family matters. All he did was handed Kyoko a drink and told them he was leaving to get back to school.

But just before he stepped out of the hospital, he saw the medical staff rushing another student pass him.

Airplane hair. Blood. Wrinkled and ruined uniform.

It was Kusababe-senpai. 

Tsuna felt stunned. He stared after the door which the staff had carried the injured perfect through with a blank mind.

“Kusababe-senpai was attacked too?” some of the other students from Namimori middle that were still in the lobby gasped.

“He was attacked right outside the hospital!”

 _Did that mean Hibari lost?_ Impossible. Tsuna didn’t think the crownless king of Namimori would ever lose. But otherwise, how could he explain the sight before him? Hibari would never let anyone get away with messing with Namimori's order.

Reborn appeared besides Tsuna. He hadn’t noticed the hitman disappeared earlier. 

“The reason for all these attacks is you, Tsuna.”

“What?” Tsuna asked when he finally found his voice again. 

Reborned explained how he deduced that from the number of teeth each victim lost and how they correlate to Futa’s ranking list. The baby hitman even gave him a copy of that list and if Kusababe-senpai lost four teeth then the third ranking person would be the next target.

Tsuna looked down at the paper. In third place was a name he knew well.

Gokudera Hayato.

“I have to warn him!” Tsuna yelled as he raced out of the hospital. He had a bad feeling about this. His instincts were shouting at him as if there was an earthquake going on inside his mind. 

He just hoped that he wouldn't be too late.

#

It was a fight between Kokuyou and Namimori. Tsuna heard the gossip going around town. People stayed away from Namimori students as the number of victims increased. He didn’t know where Gokudera was exactly but that didn’t stop him from looking. 

Still, Kokuyou...why does that sound familiar?

He heard the sound of explosions going off.

_Gokudera!_

Tsuna raced into the shopping street and found Gokudera standing in a fog of dust and black soot.

“Gokudera? Are you alright?”

“Tenth!” The silver haired teen turned to smile at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you are being targeted by Kokuyou students so I came to warn you.” But all he found was the aftermath of a battle. Gokuedra looks relatively unharmed though, which was good news.

“That guy? I took care of him...”Gokudera turned around but saw no one. “What? He disappeared!”

Tsuna opened his mouth but then the alarms in his head went off. He dropped to the ground, pulling Gokudera along with him. 

Something had slashed through the spot of where they were standing a moment ago.

“He can still move?” Gokudera cussed as he took out more dynamites.

Tsuna looked around, there was a beat up teen with burnt scars from Gokudera’s explosives standing across from them. His form looked unstable but somehow, he was still conscious and moving. “So you’re Vongola’s Tenth? Let’s finish this quickly.”

Something was wrong.

Tsuna didn’t like the strange teen’s eyes. It was as if he was being motivated by a dying wish. An ember of desire was the only thing that kept him moving. 

He knew that look. He knew that desperation from a lot of Toji-san’s targets in the moments before their death. 

These kinds of people might not be the strongest but they were the most dangerous to deal with.

He could hear sirens from afar and that sort of made the teen across from them paused. Still, he attacked. His yoyo came flying towards them but—

“Yamamoto!”

“That was close,” the baseball star laughed as he tapped his bat on the ground. He had somehow cut the string of that yoyo with a single swing. “We got a half day at school and I heard there was a fight going on. Thought it might be Gokudera so I came to check.”

The sound of footsteps closed in. There were shouts of the police arriving and their attacker turned to flee.

Tsuna helped Gokudera up from the ground. Things look like they were over. At least, for now. 

They took Gokudera back to the health room at Namimori middle. Dr. Sharmal wasn’t a man Tsuna particularly liked and he doesn’t treat men. But the doctor was willing to let them help themselves to anything in the medical cabinet and Reborn said the hospital was dangerous right now. 

Goukudera didn’t get out of the fight scratch free. He had some minor scrapes and scars which Tsuna helped treat. Reborn showed up along with a worried Bianchi. He pulled Tsuna aside and explained where he had gone. Apparently there was a jailbreak and the convicts had fled to Japan in order to meet the mastermind behind it all—someone named Rokudo Mukuro.

“So whoever is doing this is also part of the mafia?”

“No,” Reborn stated grimly. “They were exiled from the mafia.”

“What do we do now then?” Tsuna asked as he bent down. “Since they broke out of jail, can’t we call the wardens or someone to come arrest them?”

It felt weird calling the mafia to come arrest other people. Wait, if they have a jail for real heinous crimes...just how bad things have to be for even the mafia to consider those crimes bad?

“You have to take down Mukuro and his gang.”

Tsuna breathed in. Paused. Then opened his mouth only when he felt he wasn’t going to try and stab Reborn with the sharpest thing he could find in this room. “Do you know what you are even saying? How can you ask a middle schooler to defeat convicted criminals? There’s no way I can do it.”

“You have no choice in this. Here’s a letter from the Ninth.” Reborn took out a letter with a beautiful seal. “...As you are Vongola’s successor, the time has come to prove your worth. I, Vongola Ninth, am giving you this order: You are to capture Mukuro and his gang and also, you must save the hostage.”

The letter was signed and sealed by the Ninth himself. Tsuna was sure there were additional things written in that letter as well but he didn’t really want to think too much about it.

“Not going to happen.” Tsuna stopped Reborn. “I never asked to be in this mafia business. You can’t call me a traitor when I have never pledged loyalty or faith to your organization before. Just because I have the blood doesn’t mean I have to act the part you people want me to be. I am Sawada Tsunayoshi. Not the Tenth. Not Vongola.”

He turned and left. He didn’t like being pushed into the spotlight. He didn’t enjoy being someone else’s puppet or chess piece. If there was trouble, you call the cops. Catching the lawbreakers was the cops’ job, _especially_ when the mafia was involved. There was nothing Reborn could say or do that can make him change his mind.

He expected Reborn to come smash him in the head or kick him in the knees for backing down and trying to run away, but that didn’t happen. The baby hitman merely walked beside him and said, “There’s no place left for you to hide. They already know you are the Tenth so they will come after you directly. You know that don’t you, Tsuna?”

Tsuna stayed silent. He could hear the faint whispers of the neighborhood talking. People worrying over the safety of their children and wondering when school will restart. There was fear. Tension. Worry. Pain.

The perfect fertilizer for cursed spirits to grow.

“Don’t forget what they already did in order to find you.”

Tsuna remembered Kyoko’s sad face when she saw her brother’s injuries. He remembered the scars on Gokudera’s body and he stopped walking. The perfects, Hibari-senpai, Ryouhei...if he kept running the number of victims will only increase.

“Even if you say that, how am I going to deal with all those criminals?” he asked with a blank expression. Toji-san might be able to do it. But Tsuna didn’t have the same heavenly restriction. All he could do was make sure he stayed alive himself. “I am one person. One kid.”

Reborn smirked. “Sometimes, it’s good to lean on others, idiot Tsuna. You should listen to the voices around you once in a while.”

_...What?_

“Let me go with you, boss!” Gokudera appeared around the corner. “I’m going to kill that glasses dude for sure this time.”

There was no fear in Gokudera’s eyes. He didn’t care that they might be headed into enemy terrain and there was a high chance of getting hurt. He wasn’t going to get anything out of this. There was no pay and Tsuna wasn’t sure why he would be so eager and willing to risk his own safety. 

_Why?_

Yamamoto dropped an arm around Tsuna’s shoulder. “I’m going too! The little guy said it’s an inter-school role play.”

_Even Yamamoto?_

“I’m going too.” Bianchi was sitting on the fence beside them. “I’m worried about Hayato.”

Tsuna felt strange inside. Like someone had stuck a hand against his heart and squeezed. He wasn’t quite sure what this feeling inside of him meant. He hadn’t felt anything like it before. Not with Toji-san, not with Yuu or the Fushiguro kids.

But he can’t say he hated it.

“Fine,” he sighed. “We’re all going together then.”

They each went home to prepare. Tsuna put on some less constrictive clothing that would be more suitable for running or fighting. While he changed, Tsuna texted what was going on and where he was going to Toji. He waited for a few minutes but his phone remained silent.

 _...Toji-san?_

“Tenth! We should get going.” 

Gokudera’s voice came from outside and Tsuna put his phone away. He can't think about it now. 

He went outside and saw his friends all gathered with confident smiles on their faces (Bianchi had a mask on for Gokudera’s health).

“Let’s go then,” he said. 

Their destination? Kokuyou Centre.

#

The place was in ruins. It looked like a set straight out of a horror movie. It was different from the place in Tsuna's memory. Very faintly, he remembered his parent bring him here for family day and this was the same place Yuu had promised to bring Megumi to. Bianchi took down a girl that used a clarinet as a weapon and Yamamoto defeated a teen with beast-like attributes.

Then a strange man in a hat showed up right behind Tsuna.

“Careful now,” he started in a low whisper. “Because your—”

Tsuna elbowed him right in the guts and smashed a knee into his face before he could say more. He said it before, there was one golden rule all the Jujutsu Sorcerers knew by heart—anything that shows up in your personal space, kill it first then ask questions later.

The laptop in the man’s hand smashed onto the ground and broke into two pieces. He laid unconscious on the floor with blood streaming down his nose.

Tsuna looked down at his hands while Yamamoto and Gokudera complimented his quick reflexes. Reborn was watching him with that awkward (for him at least) stare again but Tsuna didn’t really care.

He agreed to come here. He knew he probably wasn’t going to be able to hide a lot of things from Reborn or play dumb anymore. 

Still, he wasn’t obliged to explain. 

They all turned their heads when they heard the bushes rustling behind them. 

“Fuuta?” 

The boy doesn’t look like he had been hurt. Tsuna tried to approach him but the boy held his book tight against his chest and backed away.

“I-I’m...following Mukuro now,” he said quietly. “Goodbye.”

Then he raced off into the woods. 

Tsuna ran after him. “Fuuta! Wait!”

He didn’t really know where he was going. All the trees looked the same around these parts. He really wished he had Toji-san’s senses right now. The man would be able to track Fuuta easily. As he wandered aimlessly throughout the woods, he saw someone standing in the middle of nowhere.

A student.

A Kokuyou student.

The male was taller than him and he had dark blue hair that was formed into a weird shape...kind of like a pineapple. He had a pretty face, one that would be liked by many of the girls in his school.

A smile lit up his face when he saw Tsuna. “Oh? Are you here to help us? Thank god! I thought I would never make it out of here alive.”

His smile was genuine. His words filled with relief and his body was relaxed. But Tsuna backed away.

_Trouble._

_Evil._

“Did you come here by yourself?” the teen was asking and Tsuna could feel the air changing around him. His eyes...one of his eyes flashed red.

“I came here looking for someone,” Tsuna said without taking his eyes off the teen. “Have you seen a Namimori student that goes by the name Hibari?”

“I think there is someone like that being held in one of those buildings up the hill.”

Tsuna took a glance at the direction the teen pointed to. He had a bad feeling about that place...as if something was stirring awake.

“Thanks,” Tsuna told him. “You should run while you have the chance. I have to return to my friends.”

Then he ran off without ever sparing another glance at the weird teen.

# 

“Fufufu...” Mukuro laughed as he felt Chikusa come out of the woods behind him. “Vongola’s Tenth is interesting isn’t he?”

“He doesn’t look very strong.”

“True. But he saw through my act and he was wary of me before I even opened my mouth. He was ready for battle.” Mukuro noticed the brown hair teen had dropped his center lower and his hand was behind his back, as if he was some kind of weapon stashed.

Interesting.

He guessed the Ninth picked a pretty good candidate for heir. Still, Mukuro didn’t like how the light shined so bright in the other teen’s eyes. These mafia were all the same. And yet? Vongola Tenth dared to play this pretend game of friendship and hero?

“There’s a baby with their group. He’s probably the Arcobaleno but it doesn’t look like he is going to join the fight. What should we do?”

The illusionist pondered for a moment before smiling. His right eye turned red and the number “six” showed up within it. “We wait. We will let him play his card first. Even if he doesn’t join the fight directly, he can still do something indirectly. It’s safer for us to wait it out.”

And then they would go in for the kill.


	16. Kokuyou - 2

15

Tsuna returned to find his friends being beaten by a man with spiky hair and a giant metal ball linked to a chain. He had dark circles under his eyes and two strips of black ink across the right side of his face. 

Yamamoto and Gokudera were on the ground, they looked like they were in pain while Bianchi stood tall to protect them.

Tsuna picked up a rock from the ground and threw it hard at the man. Of course, he dodged it easily. But now Tsuna has got his attention.

 _He looks strong._ Tsuna wasn’t sure if he could beat him but he couldn’t let the man get any closer to his friends. 

“Rokudou Mukuro?” the teen asked. This was the man in the photo Reborn showed them. 

The man merely glared at him with murderous intent. “Come down here, Vongola. If you don’t, I will kill this woman first.”

“That won’t be necessary.” 

Tsuna got down from the slope of land he was standing on and stood in front of Bianchi. He mentioned for her to go check on Yamamoto. 

“I will admit,” Mukuro said. “You’ve got guts. But bravery alone won’t be enough to defeat me. Gouja-Reppa!”

The metal ball went flying towards Tsuna with such speed and force that there was no doubt if he got hit, there would be severe internal damages and broken bones. Tsuna ducked low. Then he raced forward as the weapon flew over his head as he got in close to Mukuro. He landed a right uppercut on the man’s jaw, sending him off balance. 

_It wasn’t enough._

Mukuro jumped into the air. “Hija-Reppa!” 

Tsuna rolled out of the way as the ball crushed into the ground, sending dirt and dust everywhere.

Mukuro was fast and these ball attacks were strong. 

But it was fine. He wasn’t as fast or as strong as Toji-san. Tsuna could still keep up with his movements if he focused. Still, keeping up was one thing, defeating him was another.

Tsuna’s right hand found his back. There, hidden under his shirt was something he saved for emergencies only. He didn’t want to use this, not with Reborn around but...Tsuna glanced back at the injured form of his friends and he couldn’t just stand by and watch. 

He had no choice.

He dived in, closing the space between him and his opponent. Just as Mukuro raised the chain in his hand, Tsuna threw a handful of dirt at his face. It blinded him for a second and the man grunted at the surprise and discomfort.

That was when Tsuna pulled his right hand to the front and slashed. His action left a thin line of red across the left side of the man’s torso. It wasn’t a deep cut and it barely scratched open the other’s skin. Even a paper cut will probably hurt more than it...but it was enough. 

“What did you do?”

Mukuro was sharp. He immediately backed away from Tsuna as he touched his new scar.

“Anything that gets cut by this dagger will slow down to half of their original speed,” Tsuna answered. Explaining how something worked in the jujutsu world allowed for its power or effects to be enhanced. That was the bond. Sacrifice the element of “unknown and surprise” for an increase in strength. “But it only applies to living things.”

In his hand, was a silvery dagger with no marks or special engravings. Its blade was flat but razor sharp and the hilt was slightly longer than normal. It was a cursed tool that Tsuna got from Toji-san as a gift. It wasn’t very powerful, which was just perfect for Tsuna because he wouldn’t want to attract any cursed spirits into his home.

“You have some interesting tools.” Mukuro’s lips were pursed into a tight line. “But it won’t be enough to take me down. Looks like I would have to go all out now.”

He threw the metal ball and chain to the side, which surprised everyone else. “This ball is only for passing time. My true forte is hand to hand combat.”

With that, his fists made contact with Tsuna’s body. The power in his punches sent Tsuna flying back. The teen quickly turned around in mid air and landed on the ground. He slashed his dagger across his face and nearly took off the man’s foot had Mukuro not retreated his kick in time.

 _His movements have slowed._ Tsuna noted.

Toji-san always said he couldn’t be greedy when it comes to the kill, especially if the opponent was stronger. You’d have to dissemble them piece by piece. Take out their bearings, take away their mobility, then only when they are left a blind squirming mess you go for the head. And you must always deliver another blow to make sure they stay dead. 

“You’re actually really good.” Mukuro sounded astonished as he cracked his knuckles. 

Something was off.

Tsuna looked at the man thoughtfully. Something about this man seemed all wrong to him. Who was Rokudou Mukuro? Reborn said he was a mastermind of evil, a fearless and heartless man that killed without second thoughts. 

_But…_

“You’re not an evil person aren’t you?” Tsuna blurted out.

Mukuro frowned. “What did you say?”

“You don’t really want to kill us.”

“Shut up kid!” Something changed within the man. Struggle? Rage? Maybe a mix of both and Mukuro’s face twisted bitterly. “I will kill you right now!”

He came in close for a punch but Tsuna dodged to the side and drove the hilt of his dagger under the man’s diaphragm. Mukuro wheezed, coughing and spitting out blood as he fell to the ground. 

“...I lost?”

“When you attack, you always close your eyes and you never try to use that metal ball to finish us off. Is it...because you felt guilty?” Tsuna lowered his weapon. He didn’t know why the man had empathy towards them. Maybe it was because they were children? “You’re a strange man, Mukuro.”

Mukuro studied Tsuna before he chuckled. 

“I’ll admit defeat but I’m not Mukuro,” he said with the faintest hint of a smile. His movements were still sluggish from Tsuna’s cut. “I’m just a shadow.”

That surprised them. 

“A fake?” Bianchi questioned. She was helping Yamamoto up with the aid of Gokudera, who looked like he had recovered slightly from Mukuro’s earlier attacks. 

“But the photos...?”

The man on the ground shook his head. He went on to explain how the real Rokudou Mukuro had taken everything from him. A bloodbath. A man turned into a living weapon and raised his hand upon those he loved. A puppet of carnage and nothing more.

Tsuna felt his hands trembling. Cold. He was so cold. How could someone do such a thing?

“Listen, Vongola.” The man got up. “Mukuro’s real objective—”

“Move!”

They both shouted in unison. Tsuna ducked low while the man followed. Out of his peripheral vision, Tsuna saw needles shooting towards them and he raised his dagger to block. 

Metal clashed against metal.

“It’s the yo-yo freak!” Gokudera shouted from further away. “Shit! He ran!”

“Yamamoto and I are alright!” Bianchi told them. 

Reborn came closer. “Tsuna?”

“I’m okay.” Tsuna climbed back onto his feet. He dodged most of it and the dagger blocked the rest. But then he realized something was wrong with the man. He was on the ground, rigid and silent. Tsuna went to flip him over and saw there were a few needles embedded in the man’s arm. 

_They got him._

“They were here to silence him,” Reborn concluded. “It’s poison.”

Tsuna could see the anger upon his friends faces as they realized what had happened. Mukuro, the real one, sent his comrade to death’s doors the moment they became a liability. Tsuna gave Lanchia some very simple first aid with what they had on hand. He wasn’t a healer and none of them knew reverse techniques but he couldn’t just leave the man to die. 

“Hey, Mister?” he asked as he worked. “You had a name didn’t you? Your real name.”

“It’s...Lanchia.”

“Lanchia-san, please hang on.”

There was a smile on Lanchia’s lips. He looked relieved. Like a dying soldier that had finally set foot upon his homeland. Then, he closed his eyes with a sigh. 

Tsuna turned to Reborn. “He can still be saved right?”

“Yes, the problem was the poisoned needles so if we get the antidote to him in time, he should live.” The hitman nodded in agreement. Tsuna could tell he probably had a ton of questions but their situation didn’t allow him the time to ask.

“That glasses freak must have the antidote,” Gokudera said. 

“Let’s move Yamamoto to somewhere safer and we’ll go find Mukuro.” Tsuna bite his bottom lip. He didn’t like what Mukuro did and he didn’t want Lanchia to die. Not here. Not now.

“In that case, should we follow the bird?” Bianchi pointed to the fluffy yellow creature on the creepy hat man’s chest. It tiptoed along his unconscious body a bit before taking flight. 

Tsuna’s gaze followed it as it went for the building on top of the hill. He frowned. He didn’t want to go up there but their enemy was there. 

With a deep breath, he took his first step towards the hill. 

#

The inside of the building was in worse shape than the outside. The stairs were destroyed and they only managed to find an emergency ladder that still looked somewhat attached.

“Leave things to me,” Gokudera said as he stepped in front of Tsuna. “Please go ahead, Tenth!”

Tsuna cocked his head slightly to the side. They were short on time. Reborn guessed that Lanchia only had about an hour. They can’t all get stuck down here. So he patted Gokudera on the shoulder as he passed by. “Please be careful, Gokudera-kun.”

_Please survive._

Tsuna, Bianchi, and Reborn made it to the cinema without encountering any more foes. Once they opened the rusty doors, they were met with the sight of a young man sitting on the sofa on center stage. Behind him, the ragged curtains swayed slightly with the wind.

Blue hair. A Kokuyou uniform. 

“It’s you,” Tsuna stated. It was the teen he met in the woods. He sensed the same evil again. “Rokudou Mukuro?”

“You’ve got a sharp sense, Vongola Tenth.” He smiled as if they were old acquaintances. “That’s right. I am the real Mukuro.”

Footsteps sounded from behind them and they found Fuuta standing by the door they came in from. 

“Fuuta!” Bianchi took a step closer to the boy but Tsuna grabbed her. 

“Don’t,” he warned. The Fuuta before him didn’t feel right. He was holding a sai with three prongs and something was wrong with his eyes. They weren’t as clear as Tsuna remembered. “Fuuta, what are you doing?” 

Fuuta didn’t answer. He came forward while hacking that weapon at Tsuna. 

“He’s being mind controlled like Lanchia,” Reborn noted as he and Biachi backed away, avoiding the boy’s random attacks. “Tsuna! Use this whip I borrowed from Dino.”

He threw a whip at Tsuna. The teen didn’t know when Reborn had made contact with Dino again but now wasn’t the time to think about something like that. He held the whip in his hand.

“Kufufu...”

Mukuro was enjoying the show. Tsuna looked at Fuuta and then down at the whip in his hand.

_”Take them apart piece by piece.”_

Immobilize.

Contain.

Kill.

But this was Fuuta. This was a nine years old boy that hadn’t done Tsuna any wrong. A boy who was suffering under the control of someone else.

“It’s not your fault.” Tsuna threw the whip away. “It’s not your fault, Fuuta. Whatever you have done so far, none of it was your fault.”

There was a slight twitch in the hand Fuuta was using to hold the sai. Tsuna dodged as the sharp tip came close. He grabbed the boy’s wrist, pinning the weapon in mid air. 

“Come back to us, please. Mama, Lambo, and I-pin are waiting for you back home.” 

Fuuta reached his free hand to his head. The boy looked like he was in pain as he clenched his teeth.

“Tsuna-Nii...” the name left Fuuta’s lips but then blood started dripping down the boy’s nose. He went weak. Dropping the weapon and falling into Tsuna’s embrace.

He was out cold.

Mukuro laughed. “Looks like you’ve gone too far. Oh well, the boy hasn’t slept in the past ten days either. He used the Omerta and refused to leak any clues to your whereabouts.”

“So you used the fighting strength ranking to flush out Tsuna and his family?” Reborn added.

“It worked didn’t it, cursed baby of the Arcobaleno? I’ve got Vongola right here.”

Mukuro stood up. His right eye was an eerie red as he moved closer to Tsuna. There was fire emitting from his eye. 

Tsuna took out his dagger. 

“You’ve got an interesting weapon. But it doesn't do anything as long as it doesn't hit.” Mukuro extended his arms and there was suddenly a trident in his hand. “And it won’t do any good against my fourth state of Shura. My body has been through all six paths of reincarnation in my previous lives. Thus, I have gained six skills from the six journeys.”

Tsuna didn’t like what he was saying. It implied too much. Things that even the shamans wouldn’t try. 

“Let’s begin with the first state of hell.” He tapped the end of his trident on the ground. A low rumble went through the floor and the ground cracked. The ground beneath his feet dismantled as if it was crushed by an invisible force.

Tsuna breathed in. He shut his eyes and opened them again. The ground was normal again.

“An illusion.” He didn’t need Gojo’s six eyes to tell that much. Toji-san had said fear could screw people’s perceptions up real bad. And if you lose yourself to that, you die. 

“Ah, you’re pretty good to be able to see through that.” Mukuro looked amused. “Is the Arcobaleno not fighting? I don’t mind doing a two on one.”

“That’s against the rules.”

“A real mafia answer,” the teen placed a hand on his chin. “Do you trust your student so much?”

Tsuna heard hisses. Snakes of various bright colors surrounded him and they were real this time.

“The third state. State of animals.”

Tsuna chopped a snake’s head off. It bled out across the floor but the other snakes only slithered closer. They weren’t intimidated by the death of their kind. These animals were under Mukuro’s control. He opened his mouth to say something but he heard something else, a _whoosh_.

Mukuro swept his trident across the air and beated a tonfa away from him. 

“Boss! Take cover!”

Tsuna went down low. Bombs exploded and he saw Gokudera and Hibari standing by the door. Both of them looked tattered with blood stained upon their clothing.

“Hibari-san! Gokudera-kun!”

“Considering how many bones I have broken, I’m surprised you can still move.” Mukuro got into a fighting stance as Hibari moved between him and Tsuna. “It’s fine. This will be over in an instant.”

The ceiling suddenly was filled with sakura petals. They grow beautifully, a hazy spectrum of various shades of pink blossomed across the room.

Tsuna’s eyes widened. _Hibari-senpai was still suffering from sakura-kura disease!_

“Hibari—”

Then he saw the best thing he has seen all day so far. Hibari’s attack landed on Mukuro. 

“Ha, I got the prescription from Sharmal before we came here.” Gokudra was laughing with a wide grin on his face. 

Mukuro went flying and landed on the ground with a heavy thud. THe flowers in the air disappeared. An illusion again. 

“Hibari-senpai!” 

Tsuna caught Hibari before he went down. The Head of the disciplinary committee had delivered the finishing blow to Mukuro but he was exerted. It was already a miracle that he could still move despite the state he was in, let alone fight such a strong opponent. 

“Looks like it’s over. We can go back to Namimori.” Reborn came close along with Gokudera, who was holding a hand over the wound on his chest. “Vongola’s medical team is on their way here right now.” 

Tsuna was going to cheer but he heard movement from Mukuro.

The teen was sitting on the ground but he had a gun pointed to his head. “Arrivederci,” he said.

Bang.

Then he fell limp.

 _Was he dead?_ Tsuna stared after Mukuro’s body. No, something wasn’t right. There was too little blood. 

“He really did it,” Hibari’s voice came from behind them. “I guess he would rather die than get captured alive. Give me a hand won’t you?”

The head Perfect raised a hand towards Tsuna. 

“Don’t worry, I got this Boss.” Gokudera went over before Tsuna could stop him.

“Gokudera! Don’t!”

The tip of a sai cut a scar on Gokudera’a arm. 

“What?” 

Hibari’s hand flopped to the ground. And Tsuna pointed his dagger at Gokudera.

“Mukuro?”

The silver haired teen turned around and there was a smile on his face. His right eye was red. “You’re just full of surprises aren’t you, Vongola? Yes, it’s me who have returned from the depths of hell. That little birdy’s body can’t be used any more. He truly is a terrifying one.” 

“It’s the possession bullet developed by the Estraneo family. It lets people possess others’ bodies and control them at will.” Reborn stated sternly. “Where did you get it from? It was banned and all of it should have been destroyed.”

“Kufufu...why should I answer you?” Mukuro jeered before turning his head towards Tsuna. “It’s your turn next, Vongola’s Tenth. Then I can have my vengeance!”

“Bianchi,” Tsuna said as he shifted his dagger in his hand. “Take Hibari-senpai and get out of here.”

“Tsuna...” she started but then her voice abruptly stopped. 

“Bianchi!”

Two figures had appeared behind her. Both of them have a red right eye, just like the possessed Gokudera.

“Simultaneous possession?” Reborn sounded surprised.

“That’s not all.” Mukuro was speaking through Bianchi’s mouth now. “Surrender yourself, Vongola. You can’t win against me.” 

Tsuna stopped moving. He felt the chill inside his bones. It was as if his heart had frozen from within, while a blizzard took hold of all the cells in his body. 

Panick. 

Go.

Run.

They have to get out.

_Have to get out._

“Mukuro! Truce!” he yelled at the teen who was still in Bianchi’s body, which startled everyone that was still conscious. “We have to get out now! All of us!”

The beast-like boy being possessed by Mukuro stepped forward, aiming his claws at Tsuna. “Are you trying to run, Vongola? I thought you would have more of a backbone.”

Only, Tsuna couldn’t be concerned with the illusionist’s threat right now. Urgency ate away at his mind. He could feel his heart pounding, sweat collecting on the inside of his palms, and his teeth 

“We don’t have time for this! Believe me just this once, Mukuro!”

Reborn frowned. “Tsuna, what is going on?”

He didn’t have the spare energy to explain. Out. They have to get out.

Danger.

Danger.

“You can’t fool me.” Gokudera pulled out his dynamite. The number in his right eye was changing as he did so but just then, red blossomed upon his right shoulder. He gasped, dropping to his knees and blacked out on the floor. His white shirt was dyed crimson as the blood splattered across the ground. 

“Gokudera!”

_Danger._

Tsuna turned around and looked up. On the ceiling, hanging upside down was something that barely had the shape of a man. It had short limbs, like an infant’s, but its head was thrice the size of its torso. Loose strands of black hair decorated its head in patches. 

A cursed spirit.

A powerful cursed spirit.

First grade? Second grade? Tsuna couldn’t tell. He felt like throwing up. He felt his world constricting and he couldn’t breath. 

“What is that thing?” someone hissed beside him. 

Mukuro could see. Tsuna didn’t know if that was good or bad news. All he knew was that they were in some real deep trouble. He couldn’t feel his own body. He couldn’t move, not when the immense pressure of impending death was crushing down on his shoulders. 

_“Breath.”_

It wasn’t a special grade and it hadn’t expanded a domain yet. They still have a chance.

They still have a chance to run. 

Cursed spirits don’t normally like to leave their birthplace so as long as they get out of this building they will be fine. But they have so many wounded, Tsuna wasn’t sure if he could get everyone out alone. Reborn...Reborn might be strong but his body was that of a child’s.

It would be difficult for him to carry someone like Hibari-senpai or Gokudera out.

So, he turned to Mukuro, who had cold sweat running down his (or Bianchi’s) forehead. He sensed it too. That petrifying feeling of doom and terror. 

“Hey, Vongola!” Mukuro said as if he was chewing that title. “You know something don’t you? Spill it!”

“Tsuna,” Reborn’s voice sounded far away and it was filled with the same concern in Mukuro’s voice.

“Hatred and anger breeds monsters,” Tsuna muttered under his breath but he knew the other two can hear him just fine. “That is a cursed spirit. It is a collection of people’s negative emotions.”

He didn’t know why it was here. The place was nearly deserted!

But then he thought of the enemies they had defeated so far, Hibari-senpai, and Mukuro, who was standing right in front of him. Mukuro had installed fear into the Kokuyou students. The gang he sent out to meet them weren’t exactly people with gentle souls either. Twisted. Greedy. Raging with bloodlust. Bitterness and sorrow...everything must have been too much.

Then there were the ones controlled by Mukuro. Did they have any last thoughts before they lost the battle of wills? Probably. Guilt then. And pain drowned them in a river of bad thoughts. 

This place...it used to have many people. It wouldn’t be strange for someone to have kept a curse here. They fought poison with poison. A curse to keep a curse away. It must have been stirred from its slumber because the seal was broken by everything that went on here lately. 

“How do we kill it?”

“You can’t. Only a curse can defeat a curse.” Tsuna held onto the dagger in his hand tighter. This wouldn’t be enough. Not against something so high classed. “We need to run. And no, Reborn. This isn’t a situation where people can surpass it with sheer will. A dying will can’t do anything when your body is torn to shreds.”

“...I got Fuuta.” Reborn tilted his hat low as he went over to the young boy. 

“Fufufu...A truce it is then,” Mukuro’s laughter was strained. His many trips through hell probably let him learn that this might give him a one way ticket on his seventh if he doesn’t cooperate. 

Lava erupted from the ground. Tsuna picked up Hibari and Gokudera before racing towards the door. He threw them towards the two males possessed by Mukuro, who caught them and ran. 

Pivoting around, he slashed his dagger through the flesh that had shot towards him. A tongue, he realized. A bright red tongue with sharp teeth at its end like a leech’s had come for him. On the other side, Mukuro was battling another tongue while in Bianchi’s body. 

“Vongola!” he shouted. 

Tsuna went over and pulled Mukuro’s real body away. “Illusions won’t work against it. It’s tracking your cursed energy instead of using its senses.”

“I got no idea what you’re yelping about!” Still, he switched over to his trident and stabbed the cursed spirit’s tongue.

The tongues retreated but the cursed spirit grinned inhumanly. Then, it opened its mouth again.

“Reborn!”

Where Reborn was standing, there was a hole in the ground. A blast of cursed energy without any technique.

The baby hitman landed besides Tsuna with Fuuta. “I haven’t experienced a real fight in a long time,” he said as he patted the dust off his hat. “We’re definitely going to have a very long chat after this, Sawada Tsunayoshi.”

Reborn didn’t say anything else as he fired his gun at the monster before them. But normal bullets were only good against low grade cursed spirits. And high grades...they regenerate.

Mukuro was panting hard. He had summoned his snakes again but their bites didn’t do much to the cursed spirits. Their poison wasn’t strong enough. 

At this rate, they were all going to die.

Tsuna gripped his dagger tight. A critical hit. If he could land a hit on its heart or head with this cursed tool, it might be able to give them enough time to run.

“Mukuro! Cover me!”

“Don’t order me around, Vongola!”

Fire and lava filled the room. They felt so real. He could smell the smoke and the sulfur. Even the cursed spirit seemed to be a little taken aback. 

He went in, slid right under the cursed spirit’s and stabbed his dagger in as deep as he could. 

_Got it!_

But he found himself flying through the air. Tsuna crashed into the wall and coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. His bones ached. His head was dizzy and he smelled blood. Was it his own? Probably.

Then, through heavy eyes, he saw the devilish red tongue come for him. Teeth glistening and ready to chew his heart out.

 _I am going to die._

Yet he couldn’t move. The impact had sent his muscles into shock. 

Tsuna heard the sound of something cutting through air. A gunshot. He didn’t have the strength to dodge it. He could only watch with tired eyes as the bullet entered his skull.

At least...At least he wouldn’t be dying by a cursed spirit’s hand. 

Still, he didn’t want to die. He _can’t_ die. Not now. He made a promise. A promise was a bond. 

_Toji-san..._

The cursed spirit’s tongue dived into the concrete wall.

Tsuna stood on the side, staring down at his reflection in the shattered pieces of mirror on the ground. 

Fire.

Embers burning so beautifully on his forehead. Orange. Warm.

His world has never been so clear. It was as if the last of the fog on his mind had lifted completely. The shackles dragging his feet down unchained and he was free, finally free.

He reached his hands towards the ceiling. They didn’t look any different. They were still his hands but he felt different.

Tsuna caught a pair of wool gloves Reborn threw at him. “...What?”

“Leon emerged from his cocoon. Put them on, Tsuna!” Reborn ordered as he dodged the cursed spirit’s attacks. He couldn’t see his enemy so he was basing it off the irregularities in the air and his experience as the world’s number one hitman. The creak in the floor, the change in wind currents, and where Mukuro’s attacks were centering on. 

The teen had recruited his own body back into battle. It was too dangerous to be lying on the ground unguarded. 

“The Dying will flame?” Mukuro asked. “So you’re finally getting fired up?”

Tsuna put on the gloves and fire emitted from his hands as well. The same dazzling orange transformed the fabric into metal. Metallic gloves with and “X” across the back covered Tsuna’s hands. 

“Mukuro,” Tsuna called calmly. “We have to go all out.”

“I said it before. Don’t order me around, Vongola.” Mukuro smiled despite the danger they were in. The number in his eyes was changing again. “I don’t like to use this but I have no choice don’t I?”

It landed on five.

Blood seeped from the rim of his eye. Black aura emitted from the illusionist’s body. He got into a battle stance besides Tsuna. “When this is over, I am going to take over your body.”

Tsuna nodded. 

“You can try after we survive this.”

And trust him, they were going to need everything they've got to survive this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ghoul twins still went after Haru and Kyoko but they don't kill without Birds' orders. Since Birds is out of commission, he can't give any orders. Then Lambo, I-pin, and Sharmal at the request of Reborn were still there. They took down the twins like in canon.


	17. Kokuyou - 3

16

“Bianchi! Take Fuuta and get out of here!” Tsuna yelled at the girl that was just released from Mukuro’s mind control. It looked like Mukuro couldn’t activate his fifth state to its fullest while still possessing someone else. 

She still looked out of it but she was a professional hitman and reacted quickly. Hooking her arms under Fuuta’s armpit, she raced as fast as she could out the door. 

Mukuro charged towards the cursed spirit. The black flames from his body flaring as he did so. His trident stabbed into one of the monster tongues and blood splattered across the dusty floor. He retreated just in time as another tongue swept across, leaving cracks along the concrete.

But he didn’t get away completely. There was a tear along his pants and red dripped down his left leg.

“Mukuro!”

The teen ran to help the illusionist but he was stopped by a screech. Bony hands grabbed at him. The black and crooked nails dug into the wall beside him as Tsuna held his hands up to block another punch coming his way. The impact sent him flying a few inches back but then, the pressure suddenly lifted. 

Looking up, he saw the cursed spirit howling. It was holding one of its hands up and where its palm should have been was a corroding mess. 

_This fire. This flame...it had an effect!_

“The Dying will flame of the sky...” Reborn moved besides him while firing at the monster. “It is a condensed form of energy linked to the user’s life force. This is why I have been telling you to do things with a dying will, Tsuna. The strength of the flames is connected directly to your resolve.”

Life force?

Tsuna stared at the orange and red flames flickering on his fingertips. That must be it! The cursed spirits were made from people’s negative emotions. If he considered that as a kind of negative energy, then someone’s life force was positive energy. When they clash, they cancel each other out. 

But there was still one problem. It wasn’t cursed energy. And maybe...the wavelength or something wasn’t exactly right. So it couldn’t cancel out the cursed spirit’s presence completely. 

Tsuna could already see the cursed spirit regenerating. It was always easier for these monsters to heal. They didn’t need a reverse technique to transform the negative cursed energy into something that could be used on the living human body. 

“Reborn,” Tsuna called. “I’m going to distract it. Can you try to get my dagger back?”

It was still stuck on the cursed spirit’s chest. Its movement has slowed but its power hasn't decreased. They needed to make another slash, create another wound on its body at a different spot.

The hitman nodded. Tsuna breathed in and the flames upon his hand bursted like fireworks, propelling him behind the cursed spirit in an instant. He punched the back of its neck, hoping to at least break a few vertebrae. His flames touched ashen skin and it started sizzling, white smoke came off of where he made contact.

And then Tsuna couldn’t move.

His right leg was numb. Looking down, he saw that a slightly smaller tongue had emerged from underneath the fallen concrete and broken furniture. It was the piece Mukuro had slashed off earlier and now it had sunk its teeth into Tsuna’s right leg.

It still had control over the pieces of its body even if they weren’t connected any more. 

A cursed technique? Probably.

He pulled it off, disintegrating it into ash but then he was met with the cursed spirit smile. Its face was pressed up within an inch’s length to his. It grinned. White teeth filled Tsuna’s vision and Tsuna could smell death closing in. 

“Vongola! Pull yourself together!”

Mukuro yanked him back by his collar and stabbed his trident directly into the cursed spirit’s eye. Blood and creamy white fluid tainted their shirts as the cursed spirit hissed.

There was a rattle.

Like the sound a rattling snake makes before they launch into attack. Tsuna and Mukuro both stared at the cursed spirit on high alert. It had opened its mouth, revealing ten tongues that were moving apart to the sides. And they saw it. There was a second face deep inside that cursed spirit’s throat. A wrinkled and slimy face with no eyeballs or nose. 

It opened its mouth.

“—Duck!” Tsuna shouted. 

But it was too late.

Both Mukuro and Tsuna felt as if they were being crushed by gravity or some kind of sonic boom. The air pressure was so great Tsuna thought he heard his skin ripped. 

They were sent backwards, falling onto the ground heavily as the concrete beneath them crumbled. 

Crashing through the floor, Tsuna coughed out blood as he landed on the lower level. His head was spinning again. The flames on his hands wavered and shrunk. He could feel blood streaming down his nose. 

“Mukuro! Are you still alive?”

“I don’t plan on dying here and you can’t die either. I still need your body.” His voice came from behind Tsuna. “I’ve got big plans to annihilate you mafia.”

“Good to know.” Tsuna got up on shaking knees. He could sense his right leg again. “We can’t let it expand a domain. One effect of a domain is that all of the domain owner’s attacks will hit. They can’t miss once the prey is inside their territory.”

“Aren’t you just full of good news?” Mukuro mocked while struggling to get up from the rubble. He looked just as terrible as Tsuna. His hair was a mess that was covered in dust, his uniform in tatters, and blood seeped from the various wounds on his body. Even that dark aura around him seemed to have faded a few degrees.

“Tsuna! Mukuro!” Reborn jumped down from the hole on the ceiling. He was holding his gun and Tsuna’s dagger. 

“How far did your friends make it to?” Tsuna asked.

The illusionist didn’t give him a good response. “They made it out of this building but not too far. Chisuka and Ken’s bodies took too much damage already, even if I push them more it won’t do any good.”

“Then we start running. We go grab everyone and run as far away from Kokuyou as we can.” There was no one to set a screen or barrier right now. Tsuna couldn’t guarantee if the cursed spirit would chase after them or not but it was worth a shot.

Escape.

That was their only goal right now.

“It’s coming,” Reborn warned grimly as the cursed spirit poked its head down the hole. It had that freakish grin again. Chapped lips pulled past its earlobes to reveal rotten gums.

Survive.

Tsuna clenched his fists. They had to survive. 

#

In all the years Reborn had roamed the underground society, he had never given the supernatural too much thought. True. There were many mysterious deaths and questionable disappearances but people like him normally assume it was the work of an enemy family. Some thugs or scumbags pulling the same old tricks in everyone’s book—kidnapping, silencing, human trafficking...anything along those lines.

He had heard of people claiming to be able to see the dead, witches with their crystal orbs, and other wild talents. 

They had power, Reborn will admit that.

And some of them were very resourceful.

But he had never seen something like this. Something that truly was a collection of all that is vile and evil.

Hatred. Anger. Negative emotions at its rawest. 

Even if he couldn’t see, he knew that dreaded pressure anywhere. It was the sound of death knocking at their doors, prepared to snatch them away with its scythe. And Reborn must admit, he wasn’t prepared to face a foe like this. He was no stranger to invisible enemies but an invisible enemy that regenerates? Now this was a bad mix.

But Tsuna fought better than he expected. The teen knew what he was facing and he calmed down, formulated a plan even. Somehow, Reborn thinks that he finally saw a piece of the side that Tsuna was trying so hard to hide from everyone else.

Very faintly, he thought he smelled something rotten. The same smell had plagued his senses ever since this mess started. Tsuna slid across the floor and struck his dagger into something. All Reborn saw was the dagger floating in mid air. A critical hit judging from the small smile on Mukuro’s lips.

But then the teen’s expression changed. 

It wasn’t enough.

Tsuna’s strike wasn’t strong enough to best their inhuman opponent. As the teen smashed into the wall, Reborn felt a true sense of urgency and fear for his young student’s life.

For the first time since he was cursed, he truly hated and despised himself. If he was in his original form, they wouldn’t be in so much trouble. He could...he could _do_ a lot more.

He watched as Tsuna laid on the ground. The teen wasn’t moving. 

Leon produced a pair of mittens and a bullet Reborn hadn’t seen before at that moment. It had been in its cocoon stage, signaling that his student was about to face a trial soon. Reborn had thought it meant Mukuro...but now he wasn’t so sure. 

So far, he had never shot Tsuna with a dying will bullet before and he had no idea what this bullet does.

“Shit, get up! Vongola!” Mukuro was yelling at the top of his lungs. Reborn knew that he must have seen something, something that meant Tsuna was in immediate danger.

It was time to make a gamble.

So he fired that new bullet into Tsuna’s head. And he won. Fire. The flames. The same orange flames that were passed down through enough of the Vongola’s heads. The Dying will flames of the sky. 

Sawada Tsunayoshi possessed it. 

He was right. Tsuna was a gemstone that with just the right amount of polish and cutting, he would shine brighter than the stars of the night.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was meant to be a sky.

If he could survive today that was.

Reborn jumped through the hole on the ground and landed besides his fallen student and Mukuro. 

“It’s coming.” He could feel the faint vibrations in the air. How the pebbles rolled off the opening in the ceiling, signalling movement from above. 

“Mukuro, you ready?” questioned Tsuna. 

“Do I even have a choice?” 

The illusionist tapped the end of his trident on the ground. Lava and smoke filled the room and surrounded something across from them. 

Reborn could see the faint outline of something that looked humanoid within the black soot. He fired another shot at the ceiling, bringing the whole thing to crush down upon that mysterious foe. 

He heard the wind being torn apart and footsteps closing in. Mukuro twisted his trident and the pillars of lava changed directions, shooting towards what had broken through the concrete. 

“Now!” he yelled.

The lava vanished. The illusion was gone and rocks, surrounded by Tsuna’s sky flames, emerged and smashed right into their enemy. Reborn could sense a chilling noise that seemed to have resonated within his soul. 

Tsuna swept his hand in front of them and the flames on his hand expanded. The fire lit up like a wall between them and the monster. 

“Run for it!” 

So they ran. They raced down the broken halls and ruined rooms. They leaped down missing stairs and rolled across the dirty floors. Reborn could hear banging and smashing behind them. It was following them. 

Tsuna gasped as he ran. “Get down!”

They did. And when they looked up again the wall in front of them had vanished. Destroyed.

Tsuna grabbed Mukuro while Reborn jumped onto the teen’s shoulder. They stepped into the air. With one hand, Tsuna’s flames gave them just enough force to accelerate their fall enough for them to make a hasty landing. Dirt got on their clothing and Reborn knew that there was grass in his hair and sticking to his face but they made it outside. 

They found the others unconscious on the grassy ground.

“Tsuna! Reborn!” Bianchi was holding Gokudera and Fuuta. She must have been trying to move them to somewhere safer. 

“Bianchi!” Reborn took Fuuta from her. Even in his state, he could still take care of a child. It might hurt a bit but this amount of pain was nothing for the world’s number one hitman.

Mukuro and Tsuna glanced back. There was a mix of relief and anxiety across their faces.

“Did it stop?”

“It stopped.” Mukuro grabbed his people and started pulling them away. “It’s watching us though.”

“We should get going. Everybody will need medical attention and Lanchia-san is still out there with Yamamoto.” 

Tsuna was slower behind them. He was limping toward Hibari. Reborn noticed that there was a patch of black swirling on his right leg. And if he looked closer...there was also something that looked like eyes on the teen’s skin. 

“Hey...” he started but then his head snapped up. The air was different. 

Danger.

“Tsuna!”

“Vongola!”

Reborn and Mukuro’s warning came too late. Tsuna turned around and Reborn knew that it was too late. A blast of force rained down upon his student. The ground around him crumbled to dust. Crushed in an instant. Dust and dirt went flying everywhere. Reborn had to shield his face as the impact radiated out and the strong gust of wind sent his hat into the air. 

“Tsuna! Answer me!” 

He laid Fuuta down and moved a few steps towards where the teen should have been. 

_He can’t die._

_Not under my watch._

Thankfully, when the dust storm started to settle a bit, he saw the familiar brown hair of his student. Then Reborn stopped himself dead in his tracks. Tsuna wasn’t alone.

Someone else was there. Someone living. 

A man. A dark haired man with a scar on the right side of his mouth.

The same one on the photo Dino sent him. 

The Heavenly Tyrant.

“Looks like I’m not late for the party,” the man said with a wide grin on his face. He wore a tight black shirt and baggy kung fu pants that were stained in blood and pieces of what looked like organs.

He reeked of death.

“Mukuro, what do you see?” the hitman asked the illusionist that was standing besides him. 

“....The cursed spirit followed us out.” Disgust crept into the teen’s voice. Whatever he saw probably wasn’t pretty. “And a caterpillar with a human face is tangled upon that man’s body.”

The man was carrying Tsuna with one arm while there was a dagger in his free hand. It was a strange looking one, kind of like a jutte with its split double blade. 

“...Toji-san?” Tsuna’s voice came through hesitantly. 

Toji?

Reborn pursed his lips. He was right. Tsuna’s imaginary friend wasn’t so imaginary after all. He reloaded his gun with normal bullets just in case as he watched the Heavenly Tyrant set Tsuna down. He used his thumb to wipe away the dirt on Tsuna’s face. 

“You really got into some deep shit while I wasn’t around didn’t you?”

Tsuna’s lips quivered. The flame on his forehead flickered smaller. It wasn't fear that had settled into his heart though. Reborn could tell that much. 

It was relief. 

“I—” Tsuna opened his mouth but the man shushed him.

“Go sit down and wait.” He pointed to where Reborn was standing with his dagger. “We’ll talk about why you’ve got a fucking fire burning on your forehead later.”

Reborn was sure the man shot him a dirty glare as he said that. 

The Heavenly Tyrant, Toji, turned his attention to the empty space in front of them. Maybe not empty. As Reborn could see the ground over there had sunk a few centimetres down, as if something heavy was standing right there.

“Now then,” Toji said while licking his lips. “Looks like I’ve got a cursed spirit to exorcise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toji showed up :)
> 
> Also, in JJK the reverse technique is like a healing spell. Only a few can use it, fewer can use it on other people. Since cursed energy is a (-) they have to manipulate it so (-) x (-) = (+) before it can work on humans. But a cursed spirit is made up of (-) so they don't need to go that extra mile. Thus, it's easier for cursed spirits to heal themselves.
> 
> Here, I think that the dying will flame is (+) but the wavelength of energy doesn't exactly match with the cursed energy (which is (-)) so the effect it has on cursed spirits is not as great. Idk what I'm talking about actually. Never been good with physics.


	18. Kokuyou - 4

17  
Life was a continuous cycle of shit shows.

Toji knew that from a very young age. He was the shame of the family. A tainted spot on the family tree and nothing more. 

Heavenly restriction.

An innate bond that sacrificed cursed energy in exchange for physical power. Normally it shouldn’t have mattered so much. But in Toji’s case, his bond was so strong that it reduced his cursed energy to zero. Zero.

_“Those born outside of the Zenin’s blood weren’t worthy to be jujutsu sorcerers. And those that are not jujutsu sorcerers were less than human.”_

That was the belief the Zenins lived by. 

So Toji’s presence was a grande humiliation to his parents. In a family that valued jujutsu more than anything else, Toji was a disgrace. Most of his childhood was filled with a life of serving. The great jujutsu sorcerers ordered him around to do all sorts of chores and heavy labour. The Zenin house had its traditions and rules, Toji followed them. He dressed like all the others and he listened in on the lessons about jujutsu and cursed spirits. He learnt the history of the three elite clans and all the cursed techniques or tools out there just like every other child in that clan. 

But he will never be one of them. 

As he grew up, people around him left. They started ignoring him, avoiding him to be exact. Because the punching bag started punching back. He might not be blessed with any jujutsu but he could still see the cursed spirits just fine. His strength and speed also increased as his body grew, allowing him to easily best his peers in a fight. 

He became the freak.

They mostly treated him as if he was invisible from then on. They didn’t need him because there were always other easier targets to push around. Sometimes the adults remembered he was still alive and he would be given odd jobs that no one else would take. Some of them were dangerous. Others were just tedious.

His life was crap. 

Until a kid came falling into his arms while he was cleaning out the storage room, another task pushed upon him. 

This kid wasn’t a sorcerer. He didn’t have the Zenin blood and he had no talent in jujutsu. He was just a regular kid. A monkey. A crybaby with soft brown hair and caramel eyes. 

Most importantly, he didn’t have any cursed energy.

Just like Toji.

He didn’t know how that was possible. The kid obviously didn’t have heavenly restriction either but he could see the cursed spirits. 

Curious, he asked, “Hey, what’s your name?”

“Tsuna.” The young boy had stopped crying but his eyes were still red. “Sawada Tsunayoshi.”

Then Tsuna started coming around. He would pass through the mirror in the afternoons and Toji would be waiting for him. 

Toji didn’t mind the kid’s visits. Tsuna would bring over whatever he thought was good or cool. True, the definition of “cool” for a five years old was sometimes miniscule in his eyes but having someone to talk to...someone that doesn’t ignore him as if he was invisible wasn’t so bad. They shared desserts, painted portraits in colorful crayons, sneaked around the Zenin estate, and pulled pranks on the high and mighty jujutsu sorcerers.

It was fun. 

Then the kid stopped coming. 

Toji didn’t realize it at first. Tsuna was still young and his parents would probably try to keep a tight watch on him. But then days went by and they turned into weeks. A month passed. Soon it would become three.

He finally realized something was wrong. _Or maybe,_ he thought, _the inevitable happened._

Sorcerers die all the time. Goodbyes and farewells were a common thing even if they were just assistants or worked in the background. They dealt with curses after all. Stare into the abyss for too long and you’d drown in it too eventually. 

That was a curse no one can escape from.

For the first time since their encounter, Toji decided to go through the mirror. One moment he felt like he was drowning in the pool and the next he was standing in an abandoned shrine. 

But he didn’t make it out of that shrine. Toji realized he didn’t really have any idea where to even start looking. He wasn’t sure what he should do if he encountered Tsuna’s parents either. So the teenager turned back, returning to the Zenin house and tried to forget that there was ever such a kid in his life. 

That was until he found a brown mess curled up by the mirror again one afternoon. But it wasn’t exactly the same boy in his memory. 

This child before him had bruises and scratches all over the exposed skin along his arms and legs. Bandages covered his fragile fingers and he smelled like a collection of every single brand of disinfectant you can find in a hospital. 

“What are you doing?” Toji asked as he bent down. 

“I'm not sure…”

The kid stared at him with a hazy look. There was a weird fog in those eyes that used to be so bright with curiosity and a heart for adventure. Now, there was only a blank slate of nothingness. 

“I think, I think I have something very important here,” he said as the tears started to gather. “But I can’t remember what it is.”

Toji frowned. He wasn’t expecting this. “Do you remember who I am?”

The kid shook his head. He looked around the dusty old storage room and tried to stand up but somehow, as if he had tripped on air, he slammed forward towards the ground. Toji caught him before he kissed the floor but the action might have scared Tsuna as he started sobbing. 

“Hey, stop crying already.” The black haired teen scratched his head. He wasn’t good at dealing with tears. “I’m Toji. We are...friends.”

He wasn’t sure if that was the right term but it looked like the kid bought it. Tsuna wipes his face with the back of his hand and studied Toji’s face as if he was trying to curve the details of his facial features into his brain. 

“...Toji-san,” he called hesitantly. “Friends?”

“Yeah, friends.”

The kid threw himself into Toji’s embrace. His body was shaking and his tears tainted the front of Toji’s kimono. 

Toji’s life was still crap. He hated every single second that he spent inside this depressing household. This clan of people who shunned and rejected him even though they shared the same blood.

The teen wasn’t sure what he was going to do with his life yet. There was no way in hell that he was going to mop around and serve the main house until his death. But at least for now, as he held the weeping Tsuna in his arms, he wanted this kid to live.

...Which might be a lot harder than he thought. Something must have happened while the kid was away. He was a failing mess. He would trip over his own feet and get into a series of seemingly impossible unfortunate events. He was off balanced and lacked coordination. His head wasn’t quite right either, as if the gears inside were rusting. 

As if he was cursed. 

A year or two later, when Toji heard about the special grade cursed tool, the Inverted Spear of Heaven, he thought that it would do them some good. Hey, it wouldn’t hurt to try.

So he got it and his work paid off. Flames erupted from the kid’s forehead as he sliced Tsuna’s arm with the cursed tool. It was like a seal had broken off and he finally saw the familiar gleam of life within those caramel eyes. 

He made a name for himself after that. Sorcerer Killer. It was cheesy and stupid but he found excitement in bring those proud jujutsu sorcerers down. Everything they had, their bloodlines and cursed techniques...their powers meant nothing when Toji crushed them. 

The monkey outsmarted the humans.

The ant took down the elephants.

It was exhilarating.

Tsuna didn’t like Toji’s job very much. He would fuss over the blood and the scars. While the others backed away, this kid with no special powers at all was the only one that was actually stupid enough to keep running _towards_ him.

Time passed by and they both grew up. 

Toji met a woman. 

This woman, who knew what she was signing up to, still wanted to bear his child. For someone like him, a good for nothing and worthless piece of trash. She wanted a family with him.

A family.

_Fucking bull._

How could anyone want the Zenin name? He had never imagined he would have something like that...a wife and a child bearing that same damn surname. He could feel his stomach revolting just thinking about it. 

So he pushed her away. 

But the brat came nosing into his business. And the woman was just as much of a naive idiot. 

The day his son was born, Toji sat beside the hospital bed and watched as his wife passed their newborn child to Tsuna. She was weak and tired but her smile was so bright that his eyes stung.

“Toji-san!” Tsuna had a grin on his face as well. “It’s Megumi.”

The baby in the boy’s arms was so small and weak. Megumi reached a hand towards Toji and the man touched his tiny fingers. The flesh was warm and his son smiled at him. 

At that moment, Toji thought...he thought maybe he could do it. That this was fine too. If they could accept him as he was then maybe he could get used to this life. This life that had nothing to do with blood or sticking a sword through human flesh. 

But then his wife died.

In a bloody mess. In the same red that had accompanied most of Toji’s life so far. 

“Take care of Megumi, Okay?” she whispered while the machine monitoring her heart rate slowed. “And tell Tsuna I’m sorry, I can’t keep our promise.”

Death was common in the world of jujutsu.

It was a curse that no one can escape from.

Not even this cursed body of his could ever be an exemption.

#

Taking care of a baby involved way too much work. It cried a lot without reason, it needed constant attention, and it was frail.

Tsuna and Toji were way in over their heads thinking they could do it. They scrambled a lot, improvised, and did a lot of stupid shit that it was a miracle Megumi was still alive. 

But this was an easy problem to solve.

Toji was loved by women. They flocked to him like bees to honey and he didn’t mind it. They took pity on a single father and poured their “motherly instincts” or whatever into the baby. 

Yet they never lasted long. 

Some of them questioned Tsuna’s presence. They didn’t really know why there was a child following Toji around. Some of them couldn’t stand Toji’s way of living, how he flirted with others or how he gambled away his money. 

Toji didn’t care.

He doesn’t respect himself or others. Who cares if they thought there was something going on between him and the kid? If they didn’t like it he merely changed location and got a different woman. 

Not too long after, he met a lady with a young daughter. She was a single mother, whose boyfriend abandoned her during her last month of pregnancy. From a certain angle, she looked like his late wife. The same delicate features and soft smile. 

Fushiguro...well, it doesn’t sound bad.

So he married her and took her surname. Gave himself a new name. Gave Megumi a new name.

No more Zenin.

Only Fushiguro.

But he messed that up too. It was inevitable, really. He just wasn’t the one that left first this time. 

Tsuna stayed. He always did. That seemed to be the only constant in Toji’s life.

“Toji-san is an idiot,” he would say whenever he found out the man had broken things up with another woman. He still complained and nagged. He still fussed about the violence and the blood.

But he never thought about leaving. 

Toji thought they would keep living like this. Tsuna would grow up, he would get a normal job, and maybe even move in. Megumi and Tsumiki would like him while they thought Toji was an incompetent old man, just like any other useless father that harassed their children as a past time.

Then the mafia just _had_ to come into Tsuna’s life like a wrecking ball.

The next heir? Bull shit. Tsuna wasn’t meant to be boss. He wasn’t meant to live in life in the shadows, walking along a road piled with white bones and covered in a carpet of blood. 

He knew what that world looked like. He knew the monsters under the bed and the skeletons in the closets. And Tsuna doesn’t belong there.

Toji wasn’t going to let that happen. 

#

The next horse race had started. As the gunshot went off, so did the cheering and rooting. 

“I’ve never seen you win any of these gambles before.” The man standing beside Toji stated. He had a mustache on his upper lip and his suit was black. Kon, the Korean mediator, had approached Toji about a job for a religous group named the Time Vessel Association.

A little assasination on the Star Plasma Vessel, a girl who shall become one with the great jujutsu sorcerer, Tengen. Once they merged, the sorcerer will be able to maintain his body and immortality. Thus, enabling the barriers that sealed away all the vilest of curses to last another lifetime. 

Kon took out a smoke. “How is Megumi doing?” 

Toji paused, his brain did not register that name right away. Maybe he had a little too much to drink last night. “...Who’s that again?”

The man nearly choked on his cigarette smoke. “Don’t tell me you forgot , Zen—Fushiguro. You really are a callous bastard. What about that boy...it was a boy right? The one that used to follow you around?”

“The brat’s fine.”

“So you remember the kid but not your own son?”

 _Son? Oh...that’s right._ He had such a thing. Toji had been too busy looking through the mafia’s files lately. His encounter with the Cavallone’s boss set off all the alarms in the wrong places. 

Toji hummed as an answer. Tsuna was Tsuna. 

“Now that’s cold, even for you.” Kon sat down. “Alright, enough small talk. You got the job covered don’t you, Sorcerer Killer?”

“Of course,”

For the price those religious zealots were willing to pay, Toji would be willing to get the moon for them.

He never said no to money before and he wasn’t about to start now. 

If things go bad with the Vongolas, they would have enough funds to disappear from the face of the earth. Toji wondered where he should take Tsuna. New York? Maybe. Lots of people come and go everyday. They would blend right into the crowd but too many people meant there were lots of cursed spirits and that would be troublesome.

Maybe somewhere quieter would be better...as long as it was somewhere far from Europe, it would do. 

#

The art of killing was messy no matter how you choose to do it, especially when the targets were jujutsu sorcerers. They fought back hard so it always ended with blood everywhere. Bodily fluids splattered across the ground, greish mesh of brain matter leaked between the cracks, and the stink of body fat lingered upon his blades. 

It was like how he taught Tsuna, you’ve got to break them down piece by piece. Dissemble. Immobilize. Kill.

And this wasn’t an easy task, not when the Gojo’s boy was involved. 

Gojo Satorou.

The first in a hundred years to wield both the Limitless cursed technique and the six eyes. This wouldn’t be their first encounter though. Toji had seen the white haired boy with striking blue eyes when he was younger. It was the first and last time anyone other than Tsuna had ever managed to notice Toji when he stood behind them.

 _The six eyes see all._

Gojo had gotten a lot bigger. He was nearly the same height as Toji now but those eyes were the same blue in Toji’s memory. As long as he was with the Star Plasma Vessel, there was no way Toji could kill her.

So he devised a plan to wear Gojo down. Weaken him and lowered his guard before he striked. He managed to put a sword through Gojo’s chest but jujutsu sorcerers were sturdy, that alone can’t kill the white haired teen. 

The other student from Jujutsu High was pretty good too. A curse manipulator. He had summoned a cursed spirit that swallowed Toji up. The man cut himself out from the monster’s belly and he could feel the blood raining upon his hair as he sliced its stomach open.

“Amanai is the priority,” Gojo said to his friend. “Get her to Tengen.”

The Star Plasma Vessel and the curse manipulator ran off. Just as he thought. Toji knew his plan was going well.

The battle with Gojo was great. He was every bit the rumors said he was. Toji hadn’t felt the thrill of battle like this in a long time. The Limitless technique and the six eyes were truly a combination to be feared.

But Gojo was still young.

He lost when Toji drove the Inverted Spear of Heaven through the tall teen’s throat. There was no cursed technique that stood a chance against this cursed tool. 

That was how Toji got his name in the first place.

Toji smiled as he dragged his weapon down, cutting a deep line down to the teen’s stomach. Blood squirted out of the wound, tainting Toji’s exposed skin and dying blossoms of red upon his light colored pants. 

_Disassemble._

With a quick turn of his wrist, the hitman stabbed Gojo in the thigh repeatedly.

_Immobilize._

Then he rammed a smaller knife into the teen’s forehead.

 _Kill._

Gojo went down, lying in a pond of his own blood as Toji licked his lips. Now, it was time to go after his real target. 

#

Toji delivered a final kick to the curse manipulator’s head. The black haired boy with bangs fell backwards, landing onto the ground as blood spilled from the cuts on his chest.

He didn’t kill this one.

A curse manipulator turns wild cursed spirits into their army. Toji wasn’t sure what would happen to the cursed spirits if he killed their master. It would be a hassle if all of them went berserker right now. 

“Be sure to thank your parents,” he said as he kicked the boy’s head to the side. “But even guys like you with all your blessings can still lose to a monkey like me that can’t use any jujutsu, don’t you ever forget that if you want to live a long life.”

_Oh!_

“Ah, Megumi.” Toji suddenly remembered now. “That’s right! It means blessing...and I’m the one that gave him that name.” 

He didn’t want to go home because the Cavallone’s men were still around. They might run into Tsuna if the teen was at his house. Then the men retreated and he forgot about why he was out. He just went on about his days with gambling and stayed at random women’s houses here and there. 

How many days had it been? Toji wasn’t really counting. 

He wasn’t particularly concerned with if the kids were well or not. There was still the old lady next door and Tsuna probably took care of things already. The teen was going to be absolutely livid about it though.

Toji chuckled a little at the thought. 

“You’re done already?” The mediator was waiting by a car outside Jujutsu Highschool. “That was some big ruckus you created.”

“They would be chasing fly heads for a while.” He had used them as a distraction when he fought Gojo. Toji ran a hand through his hair. There was dried blood mixed within it and he probably needed a shower. “The Gojo kid is dead but I left his friend alive.”

“You’re horrible.”

“Let’s go eat something with the pay later,” Toji said while looking down at the messages on his phone. He should probably grab something nice for Tsuna too. “Somewhere with a grand reception would be great.”

“No way, I know you don’t pay the bills for men.” The agent laughed as he took out another smoke but he noticed the sudden change in Toji’s expression. “...Fushiguro?”

“You’re going to have to take the body to the client yourself.”

The Korean looked shocked as his mouth hung open. “What?”

“I have somewhere else to be,” Toji shoved his phone back into his pocket and tapped the cursed spirit around his body. It spat out the body of the Star Plasma Vessel, dropping her on the cold concrete. 

It was a young teenage girl with black hair put into a braid down her side. But now she had a hole in her skull. Toji had taken her out with a single bullet. 

“Hey, Fushiguro!” Kon yelled. “How the goddamn world am I supposed to transport the body of a dead teenage girl without people noticing? I’m not you, I don’t have a cursed spirit that stores things.”

“Put her in the trunk of your car or something. Remember to transfer the pay into my account.”

“My car trunk? Do you know how expensive it is to—” the man looked absolutely horrified as he thought about having a corpse in his new car. He eyed the back of his car and then turned around, only to find empty space. “Fuck, he’s gone.”

The mediator sighed heavily as he stared at the corpse at his feet. 

“Sheesh, that bastard never changes.” 

#

Kokuyou Center.

This place sounded familiar. 

Toji moved through the ruined place at an inhuman speed. The text he got from Tsuna didn’t exactly give him good vibes. Criminals. Mafia criminals. That didn’t sound like the kind of people a regular middle schooler should be dealing with. 

There was a battle here recently. 

He could tell from the footprints on the ground and the faint metallic scent of sweet blood and sweat in the air. Toji found who he was looking for when he emerged from the woods. 

The first thing he saw was fire.

Orange flames dancing upon the teen’s hands and forehead. It flickered, wavering against the faint breeze of wind sweeping across the field. In a sense, it should have been beautiful. The flames of life and its light was dazzling. 

Only, Toji couldn’t stand the expression on Tsuna’s face right now.

Blank. Devoid of emotions. 

He knew this Tsuna. It was the same one that stood silently in the crematorium with Megumi in his arms. The child who was staring into empty space with hallowed eyes. Rational, calm, hiding all his fear and pain under a thick poker face. 

Then his eyes found the injured people on the ground. Teenagers, all of them. With weakened pulses and the liquid of life spilling from their bodies.

They were the reason why Tsuna didn’t run. 

_Fuck the mafia and this stupid friendship game._

The kid was a goddamn idiot too. He should have ran like Toji taught him. He should have ditched this bunch of hero wannabes and bolted. 

Toji decided they will talk about this later. _And_ he was going to deal with the baby hitman claiming to be Tsuna’s tutor once and for all.

Right now, the teen in his arm was still alive. He was covered in sweat and dust. There was blood trickling down his nose and different types of wounds covered his skin but he was alive. 

“Now then,” he said. “Looks like I have got a cursed spirit to exorcise.”

The thing before him was a second grade. He didn’t know how a place so barren could give birth to something like this.

But that doesn’t matter.

Toji’s feet pushed off the ground and his body shot forward. 

He pulled a sword out of the cursed spirit that was tangled upon his torso. The blade hacked into bright red tongues and sliced through the meaty flesh. Toji could smell the stink of the monster’s saliva as he closed on. It waved its claw at him but Toji blocked it with the edge of his blade. 

Letting go of the sword, he ducked down low and grabbed another blade out. This time, he jabbed it right into its underside and pulled it along as he slid under the monster’s crotch. 

Blood and guts spilled along the dirt. It howled with rage while the pieces of flesh on the ground flopped like fishes out of water. Toji tilted his head back as ong of the tongues he had chopped off flew directly at his face.

His cursed spirit spat out the Inverted Spear of Heaven and as the tongue came close, it lost all motion and flopped uselessly to the ground. Toji grabbed the hilt and drove it through his opponent’s neck. 

There was a hiss and gurgling sound as the monster’s trachea and esophagus were cut. 

_That didn’t sound right._

Toji flipped through the air. 

Where he stood before now had a hole in the ground. 

“Toji-san! There’s a second face inside its throat,” Tsuna shouted from far away. 

He whistled. “So that’s how it is...”

Toji lowered his center and waited. The cursed spirit opened its mouth to reveal that disgusting face inside. Within a fraction of a second, Toji was gone. He was on top of the monster.

His feet made contact with its eyes and sent it into the ground. Meanwhile, the man stabbed his sword right down its throat and emerged out the back of its neck. 

Its bony hands twitched once then it moved no more. 

Toji laughed as he returned his weapons into their storage. He turned to face the group that was still standing. There was Reborn, the baby hitman, who was watching Toji with calculating eyes. The pink haired girl he had seen before and a boy with a trident that looked like he had the sight. 

“Tsuna,” Toji called as he extended his arms. “Come here.”

The brown haired teen took a step forward without hesitation but he was stopped by Reborn. 

“Tsuna, don’t.”

Toji grinned. He moved behind Tsuna in an instant and avoided the bullets that were aimed at his knees as he picked Tsuna up and landed further away from the group.

“I would suggest you let Tsuna go right now, Heavenly Tyrant.” Reborn didn’t point his gun at them but his voice was icy cold. “Give him back.”

“Give him back?” The grin on Toji’s face cracked wider. That has got to be the funniest thing he had ever heard. “Those are some bold words, Arcobaleno. Tsunayoshi doesn’t belong to you.”

“You don’t want a war with Vongola.”

“Bring it on.”

The tension between them was intense and suffocating. Toji could tell the number one hitman wasn’t at his best. He was also tired. The victory against Gojo’s boy hadn’t exactly come by easily. 

Still, he wouldn’t mind adding one more kill to today’s list.

Then he felt Tsuna’s grip on his arm tightened. 

“Stop, Toji-san,” the teen’s eyes were a strange light orange that matched the fire on his forehead. He had the same disagreeing look that he always gave Toji when he saw the man messing with Megumi or Tsumiki. “You too, Reborn. This isn’t the time for this. Everyone’s hurt. They need medical attention.”

Toji wanted to say that he doesn’t give a flying fuck about the kids on the ground. They agreed to fight so they should have been prepared to die. But as he looked down at the seriousness upon the teen’s face, he stopped himself. 

The man casted his gaze away to Tsuna’s right leg. There was a torn part in his pants and the skin underneath was black. Countless eyes decorated his skin. Poison. Cursed spirits were poisonous to non-sorcerers. Even though Tsuna could see, he was still no jujutsu sorcerer. 

Suddenly, Toji got a great idea.

A brilliantly genius idea. 

“Hey Arcobaleno,” he said with a hint of excitement. “You said you wanted Tsuna back didn’t you? That’s fine by me.”

Hearing that, Reborn raised an eyebrow. Even Tsuna glanced at him questionably.

“But you really should think twice about this. Because a boss that can’t put the family first is dangerous for you guys isn’t he? And Tsuna...” Toji paused as he pushed Tsuna’s head closer to his chest. He grinned into the teen's soft hair. “He will always come back to me, even if I do this.”

And he stabbed the Inverted Spear of Heaven through Tsuna’s thigh, right where the poison was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curse manipulator = People that tame and control cursed spirits. It's different from summoning Shikigami. 
> 
> Also...in the manga the assassination was pretty brutal. Like...real bloody.


	19. Kokuyou - 5

18

Blood dripped through the air. 

Droplets of red slid down the wilting grass and seeped into the dried soil. 

Reborn could see the Heavenly Tyrant flashing him a smile with pearl white teeth. There was too much contained in the curves of his lips. Excitement. Confidence. He was practically gloating as he cut Tsuna’s leg open with the strange dagger in one smooth motion. There was not a single trace of hesitation or dismay.

He was enjoying this like a sick game. 

A small whimper of pain escaped Tsuna’s pale lips. The teen’s knees buckled, but he didn’t move away from the man. Instead, he leaned _towards_ him. 

Shots were fired. 

“That was close.” His expression doesn’t match his words. Toji was still grinning as he deflected the bullets aiming for his neck with another sword. 

Reborn narrowed his eyes at him. Dino wasn’t wrong when he said the Heavenly Tyrant was skilled. Not a lot of people can catch his bullets so easily, especially not at those angles.

This was a man that much rivaled him at his prime. A hitman. A devil in human skin.

But unlike Reborn, Toji had no loyalty or care for a good reputation. Meaning, he had no restraints. 

“Can I consider your actions as a declaration for war against the Vongola?” the baby hitman asked indifferently. 

“But Tsuna _isn’t_ Vongola,” Toji retorted as he lifted the injured teen off the ground. “He hasn’t been announced officially as the heir has he now? Nor did he pledge any loyalty to the name did he? He’s still just Sawada Tsunayoshi.”

Technically he wasn’t wrong. 

Reborn eyed his brown haired student. Tsuna had torn one of his sleeves off and wrapped it around his thigh without saying a word. Besides sucking in a sharp breath when he took out the dagger, he looked completely passive and docile as he patched himself up. As if getting stabbed casually was a normal occurrence.

The hitman didn’t find any hints of fear or signs of coercion on Tsuna. No distress, no panic or avoidance at the man’s touches. He was...relaxed even. 

Problem.

This was a problem that must be fixed immediately. He didn’t know what the Heavenly Tyrant had done with his student exactly but it couldn’t be anything good or healthy. A few thoughts raced simultaneously through his head. Stockholm syndrome made it to the top of that list.

Now, Reborn was no therapist or psychologist. He would have to consult the professionals before he makes any brash moves. The trust between Tsuna and his friends were still at their budding stages, it wouldn’t do any good to ruin that. 

Also, he needed to take a frying pan or a metal bat to Iemitsu’s face and whoever was sent to watch over the Sawadas all these years. 

They fucked up, big time. 

“He’s been nominated by the Ninth and the head of the external advisors. Internally, he is the chosen successor.”

“Then those fuckers need to get their brains or eyes checked out.” Toji tapped the blunt back of his blade against his shoulder lightly. “Or I can take it out for them. Surely _that_ will change their minds.” He snickered but there was no kindness or joy in his eyes. 

Reborn lifted a smile. “I think we can arrange for the opposite to happen. Besides, the Vongolas are also very good at exterminating pests.”

The man with a scar on his mouth looked like he wanted to say something else, utter some threats that he had every ounce of intention on turning into reality. But Tsuna knocked on his chest. 

“Stop it! Both of you!”

The teen frowned as he mentioned for Toji to put him down. 

“Tsuna,” Reborn called, silently hoping for the boy to finally see reason and move away from the dangerous man. He also had a ton of questions he needed to get answers for. 

“I don’t care what you have to say right now, Reborn.” Tsuna hissed in a low voice as he leaned most of his weight on his good leg. “Gokudera and everyone else need to get to the hospital. Lanchia-san is still waiting for the antidote too. Nobody dies today, you hear me?”

_...Oh._

Somehow, Reborn knew this reaction wasn’t surprising. Tsuna had never struck him as the type to desire power or wealth. The boy fought for those around him. He was a stubborn one. Tsuna couldn’t be bullies or shoved into doing things through bribery or threats...but he would do anything to protect those close to him. 

He would make a fine sky.

What did surprise Reborn was the Heavenly Tyrant's response.

Toji _complied_.

Sure, he rolled his eyes and sighed but he let go of Tsuna, allowing the teen to get closer to his friends and check on them. 

Reborn watched as the man set away his weapons and yawned. He had lost the murderous lust for battle. It also appeared that he wasn’t completely the dominant one in their relationship...whatever that relationship was. It was a good sign for him though. It meant Tsuna wasn’t fully under the other man’s control. 

“Kufufu...” Mukuro’s laugh sounded. “Funny you should say that, Sawada Tsunayoshi.”

“Mukuro?” Tsuna questioned.

The illusionist had been mostly silent since the Heavenly Tyrant showed up. He had the sight. He must have witnessed the whole battle but that didn’t deter him from his goal. 

“Someone’s got to die today—” His voice rang loud and clear but it wasn’t from next to Reborn like it was supposed to. “—and it’s going to be you.”

Mukuro’s body that was right beside Reborn vaporized like water droplets dispersing into the atmosphere. An illusion. He reappeared behind Tsuna and the tip of his trident was spearing right into the center of Tsuna’s back.

Only, a hand gripped his weapon and halted all motion just before the pointed tip of Mukuro’s trident could touch Tsuna’s clothing. 

Mukuro let go and his body was cut into half as a silver shine slashed across the spot where he knelt. There was a crack in the ground and smoke spiraled into the air. 

This Mukuro was a fake too.

“Left,” Tsuna directed as he stood still in his spot. It must be his hyper-intuition talking. And Toji immediately twisted his body around. Dragging his feet a bit wider apart, he sent an elbow into the empty space near his left. 

They heard a grunt. 

Mukuro appeared out of thin air as he stumbled backwards while holding a hand over his stomach. But he shouldn’t have gotten so close.  
He shouldn’t have picked a battle within Toji’s zone. 

The Heavenly Tyrant grabbed Mukuro’s neck and slammed the blue haired teen into the hard soil, head first. Mukuro coughed out blood. 

“Nice try, kid.” Toji stomped his foot down on the illusionist’s chest, squeezing all the air out of his lungs. “But you’re too slow.” 

Mukuro was wheezing as he laid on the ground. That last blow must have damaged a rib or something. 

“You said somebody’s gotta die today right?” Toji was holding Mukuro’s trident with a wide grin. The muscles in his back and arm tensed as he raised it high. “How very kind of you to volunteer to go first.”

“Don’t you mafia dare to get any closer to Mukuro-san!”

The beast boy...Ken, he was struggling to get up from the ground. Reborn could tell the teen’s body was a wreck. He barely had enough strength to talk yet he was trying to get to Mukuro. Even if he had to crawl. 

The same goes for the one they called “Chisuka”. They were glaring daggers at the Heavenly Tyrant, whom they thought was part of the mafia because he came to Vongola’s Tenth’s aid. 

“Who do you think you’re ordering around?” Toji’s smile dropped. “He attacked first so he should be okay to face the consequences of failing, doesn’t he?”

The weapon descended without mercy. 

But orange flames got in his way. Fire tangling upon metallic gloves licked the trident that had stopped just a hair's width away. 

“Toji-san,” Tsuna warned as the flames engulfed his eyes. Burning. Burning. They were shining brighter than the bonfire of a summer’s festival. “Nobody dies today. Nobody.”

The special bullet Reborn had hit him with brought out the calm fighting instincts with people. He couldn’t see a trace of emotion or the normal skittish attitude leaking from the boy’s face. As Tsuna stood there, with the symbolic flames dancing upon his forehead, he looked like a fine young mafia boss any family would be proud to have.

Yet right now, to Reborn, the only thing that mattered was that Tsuna was standing up to the Heavenly Tyrant. It was good. It meant there were still spaces and differences between them that would allow him to go in mess around a bit. Piece by piece, he could dismantle whatever terrible things Toji had built and installed into the teen over the years. 

He was going to get his student back, one way or another. 

# 

Toji-san was a fucking idiot.

Tsuna pulled the Inverted Spear of Heaven out of his thigh and patched himself up with improvised material. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised when the man stabbed him. There were other ways to get rid of the poison and Toji just had to pull this dramatic stunt.

In front of Reborn nonetheless.

Actually, the man did it precisely because Reborn was watching. They had done other acts before. Tsuna pretended to be dead, played hostage while hunting down some jujutsu sorcerers, and even put on a dress and acted as bait for certain nasty characters. A part of him knew Toji just wanted to get Reborn off his back. A successor that was controlled by someone else was about as useful as a broken stool to the family. He’d be killing two birds with one stone since it detoxified the poison in Tsuna’s system too.

And it was working.Judging from the way Reborn was staring at them, Tsuna could tell there weren’t any pretty thoughts going on in that small head of his. He knew that look. That was a look some of the women Toji-san had dated had before they tried to call the cops.

_Toji-san is a fucking idiot._

Also really? Stabbing him?

Tsuna decided that he was going to get pay back later. And they needed to talk about why Toji was in his “work” attire when he hadn’t been home for days.

He didn’t really care where the man had gone. It was probably places that had to do with gambling anyways. But he still can’t believe the idiot left his children alone and unsupervised for so many days even after Tsuna specifically told him to stay put.

Megumi had learned how to summon something else recently. A serpent of some sort. But this one takes a terrible toll on the infant. He couldn’t even last a minute if he summoned it.

Tsuna can’t imagine what would happen if he hadn’t gone to check up on the kids that afternoon.

Also, he didn’t think it was necessary to kill Mukuro. 

“You’re a pain in the ass.” Toji let go without resistance before ditching the trident to the side. “Alright, but I’m at least breaking his arm.”

Tsuna silently rolled his eyes and smacked him on the arm. The adrenaline rush from fighting that crushed spirit and whoever it was before Toji came here probably hadn’t died down. The man was too much Sorcerer Killer and too little Toji-san right now. 

He turned around to face Mukuro’s gang that were on the ground. The two that were trying to stop them from getting close to the illusionist. 

“You shouldn’t be moving so much.” Tsuna cocked his head to the side as he watched them worm their trembling bodies closer. He doesn’t hate people like them. True, Mukuro had abused their bodies and treated humans as toys but who was he to judge how others should live? If they wanted to devote themselves to someone else’s crusade and were willing to die for it, it wasn’t his place to object. 

“You wouldn’t understand it...” Ken huffed through shallow breaths. “This pain is nothing compared to what we have suffered through.”

“Ah...” Toji hooked an arm around Tsuna’s shoulder. He didn’t look amused as he pulled Tsuna closer. “Here comes the sob story.”

Tsuna ignored him. He shoved the man off and knelt down in front of Ken. He couldn’t judge how others wish to live but he could still listen to their reason. He would also like to know why the flipping hell did they target him in the first place. Besides thinking that he was Vogonla’s tenth that was. “What happened?”

“Ken—” Mukuro warned from his spot on the ground. Toji kicked him in the head and the illusionist went out cold.

“Mukuro!”

“He’s not dead yet.” Tsuna noted that Mukuro’s chest was still moving with every breath. “But please, continue.” 

The teen with fangs gave Tsuna a grin that was stained in blood. “We were guinea pigs for human experiments done by our own family.”

Now that was unheard of. 

“You all were part of the Estraneo family that created the forbidden possessing bullet, weren’t you?” Reborn asked. Not much could be told from the tone of his voice but Tsuna guessed he didn’t want to go into the details about how the mafia had agreed on the possessing bullet being a forbidden object. 

“Forbidden?” A crude laugh that sounded like it had been grinded through gravel came out of the teen’s throat. “Thanks to that, our family was prosecuted by the whole mafia world. That only drove the adults into developing their next trump card. The young children in the family were dropping like flies to complete their data and research. But Mukuro...he ended that miserable life. He created somewhere for us to go.”

Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed the front of Tsuna’s shirt. His eyes burned with a different kind of fire and fury. “We can’t let you destroy that!”

“Bull shit,” Toji coughed as he tried to contain his laughter. “Why are you acting like Tsuna is the bad guy here? Your beef is with those adults in your family that treated you like lab rats isn’t it? And it sounds like that one over there killed them all already. However, you decided to expand your vengeance on others. Well, guess what? Nobody wants to die. Like I said, you attacked first so you should’ve been prepared to die.”

Tsuna knew this. He knew that it was always a live or die situation. You can’t kill someone without expecting to be killed in return.

Ken looked like he had more to say but Tsuna wasn’t really in the mood to play this game anymore. He had lost a bit of blood. Not just from the wound on his thigh but from his earlier fight was well. His head was getting lighter and his body hurt in places he didn’t know could hurt. 

“I wouldn’t say anything about the choices you made. You want vengeance? Fine, go get it in the most bloody and brutal way you possibly can.” The brown haired teen peeled the hand on the front of his shirt off. “But I can’t just stay quiet when my friends get hurt. They were innocent. The students you attached had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to you and were just living a normal life.”

What Mukuro and his gang did was spread misfortune to everyone else, to those that didn’t deserve it. The perfects that had their teeth pulled out, Ryouhei with his broken bones...how much money, time, and energy do they have to invest before they could get back on their feet? Before they could return to their normal lives?

What about the toll it would take on their families?

How many opportunities will they miss because of this?

Tsuna had nothing against revenge...but he does have a problem when innocent people are dragged into the mess.

Life wasn’t a manga or movie, where the world centered around the main characters and their battles. Those background casualties along their quests? They weren’t just numbers.

They were people. Real, breathing, loving, and hating people. 

Before him, Ken clenched his fists tight. Tsuna got up and as he did so, he felt another presence nearing.

Iron shackles locked onto Mukuro and his friends’ necks. Tsuna felt himself being pulled back and he was standing behind Toji-san in an instant. The man was scowling and he had a gun in hand. Reborn was also frowning. 

A group of people in tall top hats and long black coats appeared not far from them. They each hid their faces behind layers of bandages and wore cravats around their necks.

“Who are they?” questioned Tsuna. They didn’t look like medical staff. 

“The Vindice,” Reborn answered. “They are the avengers and the enforcers of the mafia commandments. They trial those that cannot be judged by the law.”

Toji chuckled. Tsuna guessed that meant he felt something else. Not cursed spirits but if Tsuna also focused...he could feel the irregularities in the air. 

_Cursed energy…?_

No, that wasn’t it.

At least, not exactly it. 

“A jujutsu sorcerer?” the man in the middle asked as he surveyed the scene. Well, actually it was more like he was muttering to himself. He was also the one holding onto the other end of the chains that locked onto Mukuro. “Curses within the mafia aren’t exactly your people’s problem.”

“First of all,” Toji said as he pointed to himself. “Not a sorcerer. Second, I just came to save this brat’s ass. I’m perfectly fine if the rest of these fuckers die. Might even prepare a toast about it. The Vindice...avengers? Oh! The agreement right?”

The men in black didn’t reply. They turned and disappeared into a haze of dark fog, taking Mukuro’s gang with them. 

“Toji-san?” Tsuna was curious about what the man had meant. An agreement? 

“Tell you about it later.” He patted Tsuna on the head as he set his weapon away casually. The man had glanced at Reborn so Tsuna knew it was probably a topic that Toji didn’t want to talk too much about in front of the other hitman. “I really need a shower first.”

He does. Wherever he was before he came here, it must have been really gruesome. There was blood splattered all over his clothing and even pieces of flesh stitch in his hair. 

People dressed in white robes swarmed the field at that moment. They carried away Tsuna’s injured friends and provided care to their wounds. 

“The medical team is here.” Reborn approached them but he stopped a good two feet away when he realized Toji was still watching him from the corner of his eyes. “The Vindice took Lanchia but he got the antidote before they took him.”

Tsuna sighed. “Everyone is going to be okay then.” 

He felt a wave of tiredness wash over him. Tsuna looked up and extended his arms to Toji like he always did after they had a sparring match or after he tagged along to a job. 

“Toji-san,” he called. “I’m tired. I want to go home.”

The man grinned at him before picking him up. “Sure, let’s go home.”

“Tsuna!” Reborn stood before them. He didn’t have a weapon raised and he didn’t look like he was going to do everything in his power to stop them from leaving. However, he stared at Tsuna with those pitch black eyes of his while a mix of emotions swirled. “Mama is waiting for you.”

_So that’s how it is..._

He turned to face Reborn slowly. His brain felt like it was going to stop working any minute and he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with anything any longer. But he can’t go back to his mom looking all beat up like this could he?

Not with blood all over his body and scratches and bruises littering his skin. 

He felt like he should say something to Reborn. Even if it was just a lie but he was out of time. 

The flames on Tsuna’s forehead went out without warning. The gloves on his hands also turned back into fabric while the warm color in his eyes vanished. 

Toji’s hand covered the teen’s eyes, shielding his gaze from meeting the disappointing stare of his home tutor. 

“Tsuna?” 

“Don’t kill anyone,” he whispered but he knew it wouldn’t be a problem with the man’s enhanced senses. 

And Tsuna’s world shut down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The news I've heard about the latest JJK chapter pains me. Not even PV2 can help my mood.
> 
> Also, I am absolutely BSing how most of the curses or cursed tools work in this. Might even start messing with the flames too. 
> 
> Mukuro got taken out pretty fast because 1. he's still a teen. 2. he just finished fighting for his life and running away from a damn monster. 
> 
> This Tsuna knows the weight of life pretty well so his focus or opinions on certain things will be very different from what he is in canon. Hope you guys like it.


	20. Calm Before The Storm - 1

19

Reborn has dealt with many types of people in his life. The kind ones, the vile ones, cowards, beggars, heroes, and those that walked in all shades of gray of morality. But he had never wanted to smash someone in the head so bad before.

“What’s going on Reborn?” Iemitsu’s voice sounded surreal through the phone. “It’s three in the morning over here. ”

“You are going to have a chat with every single gun I own the next time I see you in person.”

That got the man’s full attention.

“Did something happen?” Hos tone had shifted into something more professional but that only added to Reborn’s irritation at the moment. He didn’t need the head of CEDEF right now, he needed Sawada Iemitsu.

He needed Tsuna’s father. 

“Your son,” Reborn gritted the words through his teeth. “Do you even have any idea what is going on in Tsuna’s life?”

“Tsuna?” Iemitsu sounded confused as he hummed while deep in thought. “Did he get into an accident or got chased by dogs again?”

Reborn laughed coldly. He couldn’t believe how out of touch this man was with his child. “You’re a true piece of shit.”

“Reborn,” said Iemitsu, “I don’t know what I did or didn’t do to piss you off but I won’t take being talked to like this without complaints. You’re not my parents or my boss.”

Pursing his lips, Reborn knew that he was going to have to reel his emotions in. It won’t do them any good to start a shouting match.

“Tsuna is involved with someone that’s bad news.”

“...Like delinquents?” 

“You wish,” Reborn huffed before explaining what he had seen. How the Heavenly Tyrant had stabbed Tsuna but the teen remained passive. Reborn was unsure if it could count as a disease of the mind but the attachment Tsuna had on that man couldn’t be healthy. They were close, too intimate for Reborn’s liking. It wasn’t a brotherly bond between those two and his stomach turned just thinking about labeling it as “friendship”.

But was it romantic? A physical attraction of some sort? Reborn didn’t know. 

He did do some more digging into those shamans or jujutsu sorcerers as the Vindice had let slip. There wasn’t much information on them within the mafia but he did manage to get something out of the yakuza.

There was a group of people with such a thing called “cursed energy”. They scavenge through the whole world, destroying monsters like the one that had attacked them in Tokyo. He tried to pay some of them a visit but they rejected his invitations. The refusals were especially stern after they heard Vongola's name.

The name “Toji” also didn’t come up with much information either. Turned out, the pronunciation wasn't that uncommon for a name in Japan. It also could have just been a nickname. 

“So where is Tsuna now?” In all seriousness, Iemitsu still sounded like he cared about the kind of people his son was hanging out with. But that might just be because the Heavenly Tyrant was a killer, one that could be a threat to Vongola. 

“Gone.” 

Reborn thought back to what happened after the Vindice had disappeared. Tsuna had told the Heavenly Tyrant that he wanted to go home. Home. But that home was not the Sawada house.

He still couldn’t believe the teen would choose the dangerous man that made him bleed even if Nana had been placed on the other side of the scale. 

After Tsuna passed out from exhaustion, Reborn did consider the option of killing Toji right there. He could nip the threat at its buds and they would find some other way to piece Tsuna back to normal.

But he didn’t. He couldn’t. Not when he saw the smile on Toji’s lips. This man, this strange man that smelled of rotting death and radiated insanity, had the audacity to grin at Reborn as if daring him to try.

Toji was still holding Tsuna in his arms. He placed a still finger to his lips, mentioning for Reborn to stay quiet so they wouldn’t wake the injured teen. Then, Toji opened his mouth.

No sound came out but Reborn, being the number one in his field of work, knew how to read lips just fine. The Heavenly Tyrant had said— 

_“Do your worst.”_

A joke. 

A challenge.

A taunt that he knew Reborn wouldn’t try. At least, not back then. Not in the moment.

If he did, they would lose Tsuna forever. Whatever trust or bond Reborn had managed to build up with the teen so far would crumble like a house of cards. 

He would never get a Tenth for Vongola that way.

It would only push the already reluctant teen further away.

And Toji knew it. He had enough faith and confidence in that fact that he didn’t even try to defend against Reborn as he turned away.

For the first time in a very long time since Reborn started his career, he lost without even being able to put up a fight. 

“You need to come back to Japan,” Reborn ordered as he tilted his hat low. The restlessness and bitterness inside him was uncharacteristic and dangerous. He couldn’t train his student properly if his head was clouded by defeat. “Right now.”

He didn’t know what good it would do. But it was probably still better than having an outsider like him trying to barge in. Absent or not, Iemitsu was still Tsuna’s biological father. 

If there was a slim chance that Tsuna was only with the Heavenly Tyrant because he was trying to fill the void of the missing adult male role model or fatherly figure in his life, maybe reconnecting with Iemitsu will let him see some reason.

Now, Reborn doesn’t expect an instantaneous loving father and son relationship to blossom...but it never hurts to try. 

He just hoped that it wasn’t too little and too late.

There was silence on the other side. So quiet that Reborn was starting to think the phone had died 

Finally, he got a response.

“I can’t.”

Reborn couldn’t help but raise his voice. “Excuse me?”

“Xanxus is back.” Iemitsu stated and he was sounding like the head of the CEDEF again. “The Varia broke him out and somehow defrosted him from Nono’s ice.”

“...So you’re just going to leave your son to hang around some unknown man?”

“Are you sure we can’t kill him?”

“I don’t think it will do any good to Tsuna’s mentality.”

“And this man has no intention of killing Tsuna?”

“Looks like it.” He couldn’t say the same about if Toji had any intention on _hurting_ Tsuna though. 

“Then this can wait.”

“Wait?” Reborn’s own voice turned cold and rigid. “Do you have any idea what could be happening to Tsuna right now? This is _your_ son, Iemitsu. The Varia broke Xanxus out but we both know they’d do that eventually. If anything, they’d be coming after Tsuna since he’s the only other heir left. And you can’t find the time to come take your son home? Ask him about how he went and befriended such a dangerous man? What was done to him during all these years where you were absent?”

“Reborn—”

“No, listen.” He knew Iemitsu was an idiot but this was to a level that was humanly impossible. “You had people watching Tsuna and Nana. They failed and the files you sent were garbage. This isn’t up for debate, Iemitsu. I don’t care why you’ve decided to leave him and Nana but the boy _needs_ his father right now.” 

“I stayed away to protect them.” There was a kind of icy rage brewing under Iemitsu’s tone as the man’s low voice came through the phone. 

“Look at how great that turned out.” 

Iemitsu ignored Reborn’s words. “And I can do a lot more here in Italy. If we can butcher Xanxus’s plans here, the Vaira would never be able to get close to Tsuna. I will deal with whoever this Heavenly Tyrant is as soon as I get things settled here.” 

The phone was cut. Their conversation ended and Reborn cussed silently at how the screen of his phone went black. 

He sighed. Leon was crawling nervously along his shoulder as if sensing his frustration. He needed time to think, to regroup and develop some other plan. 

Because he knew they were in for one hell of a shit show. 

#

He felt something wet licking his face. It pulled his consciousness towards the surface as he stirred from slumber. 

When he opened his eyes, Tsuna was met with the sharp fangs of a dog. It had white fur and there was a strange mark on its forehead. The hot breath and faint heat radiating off its body lured Tsuna into petting it. It leaned down and pressed its body close to Tsuna’s as if comforting him.

There was another weight next to him. 

Tsumiki was sleeping right beside him on the bed. She smelled like strawberry shampoo and her hair was loose. Tsuna turned his head around and realized he was back at the Fushiguros’ master bedroom. There were some books on the desk, most of them were Tsuna’s while random nonfictions were added to the mix. A few plushies sat on the bookshelf and a closet was at the far side of the room. 

The black divine dog was chewing on a black mess of something that squirmed in the corner while Megumi watched it feed. It must have been a small curse that sneaked in. 

“Megumi,” he called to get the boy’s attention. “Were you protecting us?”

The boy nodded as he came close. Megumi was in a normal T-shirt and some shorts. His hair was black and the way it rests unruly upon his head resembled Yuu’s. But his eyes and face...they were near exact replicas of Toji’s. 

“Thank you.” Tsuna smiled while getting up without waking Tsumiki. He tucked her back in the blankets and went out into the living room with the young boy. His body was still a bit sore but he could see that the majority of the wounds had healed. Even the one on his right leg. The flesh was pale pink but on first look, you would never be able to tell it was slashed opened recently. 

A reverse technique? He wasn’t sure. Healers like those were hard to come by but he does know that there were a few underground doctors that used other sorts of jujutsu to heal people.

He was in clean clothing and there were a few bandages around his body but overall he was fine. 

There was an unfinished puzzle on the table, the one Tsuna had brought over the last time he was here. Both Lambo and I-pin weren’t really the type to be able to sit still for long periods of time. Fuuta didn’t have much love for puzzles either. 

Tsuna sat down and put another piece into place. Megumi sat in his lap and studied a different piece of the puzzle, trying to figure out where it goes. 

“Da-da went to buy dinner.”

“I see,” Tsuna hummed while he watched Megumi complete the puzzle. “Would you like anything specific for dessert?”

Megumi shook his head. 

“Tsuna,” the boy in his arms suddenly shook Tsuna’s hand gently. “Can you stay a little longer this time?”

Looking down, Tsuna could see the anticipation in Megumi’s eyes. The same green as Toji’s stared back at him. “Why?”

“If you’re here, Da-da will stay too.” 

Megumi’s face remained blank as he said that, as if that was a simple fact. Like how the sun was warm and the sky was blue. 

“Of course,” the teen answered without thinking. “I’ll stay.”

Megumi gave him a small smile before going back to the puzzle. The boy looked happy but Tsuna felt a little bad. Sometimes he wondered if he did the right thing...if his efforts trying to keep Megumi with them was the right choice to make. Maybe the boy would be happier with more responsible people instead of a teenage boy and a careless father. There was this voice in his head. 

_"They just can't be Zenin right?"_

_"Megumi can still be happy with a foster or adopted family. It would help keep him away from the jujutsu world too."_

Tsuna knew those demons of insecurity had their logics. He still had school and he couldn't be over here all the time. Toji-san was Toji-san...and well, it was already a miracle the man stayed so long. He wondered if this was what Yuu would wanted too...and his head just felt like it was being drowned in mercury.

Then they heard the door opening. 

“Toji-san,” Tsuna greeted.

“Finally decided to get up?” Toji set a plastic bag on the dining table and turned to Megumi. “Go tell your sister to come eat dinner.”

“How long was I out for?” Tsuna went over to take out the food and get them all plates and utensils. 

“Two days.”

Not bad. He thought he’d be out for longer considering the damages he took. Megumi returned with Tsumiki and they ate dinner to the sound of television playing in the background. It was some kind of cartoon that the kids back at the Sawada house also liked.

Toji didn’t talk about what happened between him and Reborn after Tsuna passed out and Tsuna didn’t ask. They finished dinner peacefully and Tsuna sent the Fushiguro kids to get a shower.

“We didn’t try to kill each other,” Toji laughed as he plopped down on the couch with a beer in one hand. “You should have seen that baby hitman’s face when I left with you though.” 

Tsuna rolled his eyes and sat down next to the man. “What about the Vindice? You said something about an agreement.”

Toji took a sip of his drink while running his thumb down the side of Tsuna’s neck. He was checking the teen’s pulse. 

“The mafia doesn’t like people poking into their business and there are a lot of scum in their group. Normal people usually fear the mafia too right? That creates a lot of negative energy, which breeds cursed spirits,” he said. “Now, you can’t be a jujutsu sorcerer unless you’re a little mad up here.” Toji’s index finger drew circles around his temple.

Tsuna knew that was true. You’ve got to be at least a little wacky to be able to fight those nasty looking monsters day in and day out. 

“Put these kinds of people together and you’re bound to develop bad blood soon. So the higher ups of jujutsu and the three elite clans decided a long time ago that they’d fuck the mafia over by leaving them to deal with things that resulted from their own idoicy. The jujutsu sorcerers don’t get involved unless something real big shows up and the Vindice...they are the ones that are in charge of mafia related curses.”

“But how? I thought only a curse can defeat a curse.”

“They _are_ the curse.” Toji laid down, dragging Tsuna with him. The teen rested his head on Toji’s chest as the story continued. “Don’t know how. Don’t know why. But those guys have got this weird kind of fire that works on cursed spirits just like cursed energy.”

“The Dying will flame? But my flames only worked partially.”

Reborn had said the dying will flame came from one’s life force. But it hadn’t been enough to completely eradicate the cursed spirit. 

“You remember what I said before? About how jujutsu sorcerers don’t produce cursed spirits? Unless they die and become one under real bad situations?”

“Yeah. While the negative energy from normal people simply leaks into their surrounding; the sorcerers can keep it contained.” 

Toji stared up at the ceiling as he tried to recall what he had learned all those years ago back at the Zenin house. One good thing about being born in the elite three was that you get to know a lot of secrets. “It’s kind of like a mix for those guys in black. All their negative emotions are kept circulating and they pour that into their fire or whatever. That’s why it works on cursed spirits. They are avengers...although I don’t know what exactly they wanted vengeance on but they can’t be a group of cheerily happy-go-lucky people. That’s pure negative energy they are using.”

So they used something other than the dying will flame of the sky? Tsuna believed Reborn had called the orange flames he emitted something along those lines.

Well, now that he got the answers to that question, there was something else that was still on Tsuna’s mind. 

“Toji-san,” he asked as he used a hand to support his head up to stare directly into the man’s green eyes. “What were you doing before you came to find me?”

“I killed the Gojo’s boy at Jujutsu High,” he replied easily as if he had just gone to take a stroll through the park.

But no, he went to murder a Gojo.

And not just any Gojo.

Toji went to kill Gojo Satoru. 

Tsuna’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s—” he felt his own voice turning into squeaks. “Absolutely stupid and dangerous.” 

“Like you’re the one to talk?” Toji tossed the empty beer can into the trash and pinched Tsuna’s cheeks hard with both hands. “The fuck were you thinking? Going to fight a bunch of mafia criminals with those twigs? Why didn’t you run when things were looking bad?”

“I—”

“You what? You weren’t thinking that was what you did.”

“And you were?” Tsuna frowned as he retaliated by doing the same thing to Toji’s face. “Killing Gojo? On the jujutsu sorcerer’s homebase?”

“The client paid very well.”

“Toji-san you’re a fucking idiot.” Tsuna let go and reached a hand behind him. He grabbed the pillow on the sofa and started beating the man with it as he straddled his hips. “Also, stabbing me? You’re the worst!”

“Hey! I save your ass didn’t I?” Toji yelled while blocking the attacks with his hands.

“Tsuna? Dad?”

Megumi and Tsumiki were watching them from the living room’s entrance. They were both in matching pajamas and water dripped down their hair slightly. 

The girl asked, “What are you doing?”

Tsuna stopped with the pillow still raised in the air. Turned to the kids and gave them an abnormally bright smile for a situation like this. “Your father is the biggest idiot in the world.”

Tsumiki nodded in agreement without asking for the context. 

“Divine dogs,” Megumi said as he made a hand shadow of a dog’s head against the light. The two beasts came out of the shadow in the hallway and pounced towards them. Tsuna rolled onto the floor with the pillow as Toji punched both dogs on the head, forcing a stop to Megumi’s jujutsu and causing the animals to melt back into the shadows.

The boy looked disappointed. 

Still, Tsuna clapped for Megumi’s efforts while he sat up on the ground. “Good job!”

“Don’t encourage him.” Toji came over and smacked Tsuna on the head. He turned to the kids and picked them up by the back of their collars as if he was getting rid of stray cats. “Alright, time for bed. No more trying to kill me for the day.”

“Toji-san! I told you to not carry them like that before!” Tsuna threw the pillow after the man and got up to snatch the kids away. 

They bickered all the way to the bedroom while Tsumiki laughed. Tsuna didn’t really know what was so funny. She sure was a strange little girl. Megumi stayed quietly in Tsuna’s arms but he had a small smile on his lips as well. 

After they’ve tucked the kids in, Tsuna laid back down on Toji’s bed. He wasn’t really sleepy but his body probably still needed the rest. 

“Are you staying?”

“For a few days.” School was shut down because of Mukuro’s actions. It would probably be a few more days until things could return to normal since both Hibari and Kusakabe were out cold.

“What are you going to do about Vongola?” Toji laid down next to him in the dark. There was a faint silvery glow of moonlight casting into the room. It gave Tsuna just enough light to see the outline of the man’s hand as it came close and pressed against the side of his neck.

“Not sure. Kind of hoping Reborn had given up and left before I went back.” 

He had to go back. He couldn’t just walk out and disappear on his mom. True, she wasn’t the most careful or observant mother. Most of the time Nana was stuck in the role of a happy housewife. He wasn’t sure if that was her way of coping with an absent husband or if she truly enjoyed that life. All Tsuna knew was that as much as he wanted to, he wouldn’t be the one to pull her onto a different path.

He wasn’t enough.

The Sawada house was home to him because Nana was there. Despite all his faults, she still took care of him and loved him. Yet the Fushiguro’s was his home as well. Toys, books, gadgets, utensils, clothing...his presence was all over the apartment and he couldn’t think of anywhere else that made him feel so relaxed. 

“What are you going to do if they come after you?” That was what Tsuna was scared about. What if the Vongolas come after Toji and the kids?

He doesn’t think Reborn will stoop so low but they were still the mafia. And mafia was never a one man show. 

“That’s a stupid question,” Toji’s low laughter resonated within the dark room. “I’ll put all of them six feet under of course.”

Tsuna rolled towards the man and hid himself in Toji’s embrace. It was warm and the familiar scent made him relaxed. He wasn’t sure what the future entails exactly and he had a feeling that Reborn wouldn’t give up so easily.

Still, right now he was just glad both Toji and him were alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Age time:
> 
> Tsuna and the gang are around 14 here. Toji is about 22-24 while Megumi is 2-3 (Tsumiki would be around 4-5). 
> 
> Gojo is in the second year of high school.
> 
> Iemitsu and Nana are 38 and 34 based on wiki. Reborn...is Reborn.


	21. Calm Before The Storm - 2

20

“Mom!” Tsuna yelled as he opened the door to his house. “I’m home.”

“Oh Tsuna! Welcome back.” She was holding a basket of dirty laundry as she smiled at him. “How was the sumo wrestling camp?”

 _Sumo…?_ Oh, Reborn must have made that excuse up. Like usual, Nana doesn’t suspect a thing. 

“It was great,” he replied with a smile. 

“I’m making your favorite Salisbury steak for dinner tonight.”

Tsuna helped her put all the dirty clothing into the washer. “Thanks, mom.”

He saw Lambo and I-pin playing video games in the living room. The two kids were too busy preventing themselves from dying to notice he came back so he went upstairs.

When Tsuna opened the door to his bedroom, he found Reborn waiting for him. A scene that was expected. But nevertheless disappointing. 

“You’re back.”

“Yeah, I still have to go to school.” Tsuna opened his closest to grab something to change into. The black shirt he was wearing was a few sizes too big and it covered down to his thigh. He was wearing one of Toji’s shirts because the man had been insistent on fucking with Reborn’s head. Tsuna thought it was childish but he put it on. 

Okay, so maybe he does want to mess with the hitman too. Even if it was just for a little bit.

If Reborn noticed anything, he didn’t say it out loud. What a shame. 

“It looks like all your injuries are healed,” he said while drinking his coffee. It smelled pretty nice. Like a very expensive and rich blend that Tsuna had seen reserved for very special customers at those high end cafes. 

He didn’t answer. The hitman stayed silent too as he swirled the tiny spoon in his coffee cup.

“Is there something else you need?” Tsuna asked as he sat down in front of his desk. It was probably time to get catched up on some homework. He also wondered why Reborn stayed. It was obvious that Tsuna wasn’t a good candidate for boss, even without Toji. They shouldn’t be wasting time on him any longer.

That would be the most rational thing to do. 

“Tsuna,” Reborn’s voice was calm as he spoke. “Why didn’t you react when Mukuro attacked you on the field that day?”

“Why?” Tsuna blinked as if Reborn had uttered some form of alien language. “Toji-san was right there.”

The hitman’s fingers twitched slightly. Reborn’s expression soured as Tsuna turned to face him, completely serious. 

“Don’t you think it’s kind of weird that a grown man hangs out with a random teenage boy?”

Tsuna scratched his head. “ _You_ are hanging out with teenage boys right now. Children too. Even if that body of yours resembles a baby’s...you’re not really one aren’t you?”

He had known something was strange with Reborn from the start. From the way he spoke to the things he could do...a normal baby could never do any of those. Even if the mafia had a lot of absurd people, Tsuna didn’t think this would be a normal occurrence amongst their population. 

“This is my job,” answered Reborn with his usual poker face. It was kind of creepy seeing how serious the hitman was. “What happens if he were to betray you?”

That wasn’t a question Tsuna was expecting. He thought he’d be hearing things along the lines of interrogation. They’d want to know where he had met Toji-san, what they did, and what was going on between the two of them.

He didn’t expect Reborn to ask about his safety first.

Tsuna thought for a moment. 

He doesn’t have any cursed energy so he wouldn’t turn into a cursed spirit. Thus, he won’t hurt anyone after his death. Megumi and Tsumiki were learning how to take care of themselves pretty fast. He guessed that comes naturally when the adults in your life were unreliable. Tsuna wasn’t sure what kind of circumstances would cause the man to abandon him...maybe if he was under the influence of a cursed technique or maybe if death would be the better option. 

Besides, if Toji-san were to do it, the death would probably be real quick and painless. 

So, he said, “That’s fine by me.”

He knew his answer wouldn’t sit well with Reborn. Yet he still said it and returned to his assignments as if he hadn’t just agreed to throw his life away without a fight. 

#

When Gokudera woke up, he was in the hospital. A private one. It was probably owned by the Vongola and he was surrounded by the smell of disinfectants and medicine. Slowly, he turned his stiff neck to the side and found Yamamoto on a different hospital bed to his left.

The baseball idiot was awake and he had bandages around his injured arm.

“Hey,” the black haired teen greeted with his usual carefree smile. The action might have pulled on something so he sucked in a sharp breath right after. 

Normally Gokudera would laugh at the other’s terrible state but he probably doesn’t look any better right now. 

“Where’s the Tenth?”

“I don’t know. But Fuuta and Bianchi came by about ten minutes ago. They look alright.”

The door opened and Reborn came in alone. His expression was a gloomy mess and Gokudera swore he could see a dark aura emitting from the hitman’s small frame. This wasn’t the face of someone that had tasted victory or completed a mission. 

But they were alive.

Which meant they had defeated Mukuro right? His memory before he fainted was very fuzzy but the Tenth definitely took down Mukuro. He had every ounce of confidence that Tsuna could do it. 

_No._

Gokudera placed a hand on his head as he felt a migraine settling in. Tsuna didn’t defeat Mukuro. The fight was interrupted. Something else had shown up during the fight. He remembered being carried away from the building by someone in a Kokuyou uniform...the glasses freak? Why? They were enemies.

Groaning, Gokudera struggled to sit up so he could clear his head a bit more. Reborn jumped onto the stool beside his bed and asked, “How much do you remember?”

“Not much...Mukuro got defeated by Hibari...and he used the possessing bullet. I think I got possessed by that freak afterwards?” And he hated himself for it. How could he let himself be turned against Tsuna? “He tried to gang up on the Tenth...and things are fuzzy after that.”

“Cause you lost quite a bit of blood at that point.”

“Right,” Gokudera muttered under his breath as he clenched the bed sheets tight. “Next thing I remember is that we were outside. There’s someone else...a man with black hair. He...He...”

Gokudera couldn’t remember the man’s face. He barely had any memory of what went on after Mukuro possessed him. But his instincts told him he needed to remember...that it was important so he tried despite how much his head felt like it was going to split in half.

_He stabbed Tsuna in the thigh._

“He stabbed the Tenth in the thigh!” Gokudera shouted angrily as the memory came back to him. And he had been lying on ground, useless while the one he pledged his loyalty to was injured! 

“So you saw it too.” Reborn nodded in agreement. 

“Wait, little guy...” Yamamoto was sitting up too. Concern was written all over his face as he looked at Reborn. “Where’s Tsuna now? How bad is he hurt?”

“I don’t know.” Reborn shook his head while a shadow was casted over his eyes. “That man took Tsuna.”

“What?”

They both widened their eyes in disbelief. 

“That man is someone known as the ‘Heavenly Tyrant’. He is a freelance killer and a very good one too,” explained Reborn as he studied the change in demeanor on both teens. 

“I’ve never heard of him before.” Gokudera scowled. Information was key to survival and he gathered lots after he took off from his family. 

“That’s because he only takes very specific jobs.” 

The hitman went on to tell them about the cursed spirit and jujutsu sorcerers. There wasn’t much information but it was hard to process. Gokudera wasn’t sure if he should be excited that the supernatural was real or be frightened that such a man took the Tenth.

“Little guy,” Yamamoto said and the usual playful attitude was gone. “This isn’t a game right? This isn’t someone cosplaying a hitman?”

Reborn shook his head. “He’s the real deal. This is someone that’s way out of your league.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Gokudera cussed as he struggled to get out of the bed. His body still aches but he was more worried about Tsuna right now. 

If that man could stab Tsuna so casually in front of Reborn, who knows what he will do when no one is watching? “We’ve got to go save the Tenth!”

“Gokudera—” Reborn tried to stop him but he was cut short by an object flying past his head. It nearly smashed into Gokudera’s nose. 

“Wha—” He turned to see it hit the wall behind him and landed on the ground.

A tonfa.

“You’re noisy.” Hibari’s husky voice came from the corner of the room. “Shut up, herbivores.”

Gokudera hadn’t noticed the head perfect was there. “Hey, this is serious! The Tenth—”

Hibari didn’t respond. His eyes were shut as he laid back down. He had moved on instinct while unconscious before his body gave out again then. 

“Fuck.”

“As I was saying,” Reborn landed on Gokudera’s bed and pushed the teen back down. “We can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because Tsuna went with him willingly.”

Both teens that were still conscious couldn’t understand it. They opened their mouths and closed them again.

“Tsuna...went with him out of his own choice?” Yamoto repeated with uncertainty. 

“Yes.” Reborn nodded. “It appears that the two have known each other for quite some time. For whatever reason, Tsuna trusts him. I’m just telling you two this so you’re aware of the dangers around Tsuna if you were to remain as his family members.”

The hitman went towards the door. Before setting foot outside though, he turned and watched them with his dark eyes. “Rest well now.”

And he was gone.

Gokudera quieted down as he stared at the space in front of him. He might have a quick temper but that doesn’t mean he didn’t know how to think. They couldn’t do anything at their current states. They don’t know where this Heavenly Tyrant had taken Tsuna and they wouldn’t be able to do any good against him with these injuries. 

“Yamamoto,” he spoke up even though his head was still a mess. “What do you think?”

The baseball star took a very long time to respond. “I don’t know. Based on what the little guy said, this dude is dangerous.”

Gokudera stared at him. There was something more the other wanted to say. 

“But if Tsuna trusts him...” Yamamoto had a sheepish smile even though there was still a lingering trace of a frown in his eyebrows. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions so quick shouldn’t we? Have a little faith in Tsuna.”

Gokudera gawked at how optimistic the other teen was. Still, he placed a hand under his chin as he pondered. Maybe...just maybe (and he couldn’t believe he was thinking this) Yamamoto was right.

This was the Tenth they were talking about.

And Gokudera had swore he would be the best right hand man to the brown haired teen. If he was to do so...he needed to put his faith in his boss’s decisions. 

So he laid back down and wished that his body would heal faster. Then he would check out this Heavenly Tyrant himself.

# 

He didn’t think he would be meeting the Heavenly Tyrant so soon. 

Tsuna had come back to school on the day school restarted. He looked well. There were a few bandages on his arms and face but his legs appeared fine. The teen’s movements were smooth too, signalling that he had healed pretty well. 

“Tenth!” Gokudera went up to greet him. “I’m glad you’re okay!”

“Thanks, Gokudera-kun.” Tsuna smiled at him. There wasn’t a single trace of gloom in his eyes and somehow that made Gokudera relieved. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Vongola's medical team is top notch.”

They went through the day without any problems. Tsuna was himself...and he doesn’t appear to be pretending. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera didn’t ask him about the Heavenly Tyrant or where Tsuna had disappeared to. They knew he was here and that was sort of enough for now.

That was until Gokudera saw the man waiting by the school’s front gates. This man was wearing a black suit with a red dress shirt and his black tie hung around his neck loosely. He was tall and had a broad shoulder, completed with a handsome face and narrow green eyes. It was different from Gokudera’s. The hue was brighter and more venomous. A scar ran down the right side of his mouth but that didn’t stop the girls from admiring him excitedly. He was surely a player, because the smiles he gave the girls were nothing but frivolous.

But even as he stood there, defenseless and weaponless...Gokudera still felt like he was being crushed by a mountain of invisible pressure. 

This man has blood on his hands. A lot of it.

But Tsuna ran up to him as if this stranger was the only thing left in his world before Gokudera could stop him. 

“Toji-san! What are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d drop by and say hi.” Toji ruffled the teen’s hair but his eyes were on Gokudera and Yamamoto. There was definitely nothing nice in his gaze. 

“Tsuna,” Yamamoto laughed but something told Gokudera that it was faked too. “Who is this?”

“This is Toji-san,” Tsuna introduced with a smile that stung Gokudera’s eyes. “Toji-san, these are my friends, Gokudera and Yamamoto.”

The man bared his teeth at them. It wasn’t a very friendly gesture but he didn’t look like he was going to attack either.

 _Toji...yes, Reborn had said that was what Tsuna called the Heavenly Tyrant._

Gokudera felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. While the world’s number one hitman hadn’t said too much, Gokudera knew what he was implying. He grew up in a messed up house and his family was every bit mafia as it possibly could get. 

He knew the darkness.

He heard the stories.

And now he might be witnessing one unfold in person. 

“Nice to meet you,” the man laughed as he shook their hands. His grip was strong and Gokudera could tell from the calluses on his palms that this was a very well trained weapons master.

“You...” he opened his mouth but then the infamous killer before him wasn’t listening. 

“Tsuna~” Toji dropped his arm around Tsuna’s waist and pulled the teen closer to himself. He was grinning. “Let’s go.”

_This was it._

Gokudera knew what was happening then. This man was here to show them how tight of a grip he had on Tsuna just for the hell of it. He could feel his blood boiling at the realization...this...this damn executioner was here to gloat now that the cat was out of the bag! 

Tsuna nodded. He didn’t even question where they were going as he waved goodbye at Gokudera and Yamamoto. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow!”

The two disappeared around the corner.

“Gokudera,” Yamamoto said but he wasn’t looking at the silver haired teen. There was a strange mix of emotions on his face, most of them being negative ones that mirrored Gokudera’s. “That’s the guy Reborn was talking about right? The one that stabbed Tsuna?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t like him.”

“Me either.”

Gokudera shoved a smoke into his mouth and lit it violently. He would like to test his triple bombs out on Toji but he couldn’t.

Because the Tenth...no, _Tsuna_ , looked happy. He was relaxed and his smile soft and gentle. He didn’t look so detached from the world anymore. They think that Gokudera doesn’t notice it but he does. He knew the Tsuna they have been hanging out with wasn’t fully here. A part of him was lost out there, with this man. 

But right now, he was complete.

He was happy. 

So Gokudera put his dynamites away. 

He doesn’t like Toji one bit but maybe, even if it was only for Tsuna’s sake, he could try to tolerate him. He turned his head to find Yamamoto staring at him. 

Apparently, the baseball star had the same opinion. 

This might be the first time they’ve agreed on something without fighting over it first.

However, he was still going to blow that dickhead up if he ever tried to harm Tsuna. Gokudera doesn’t vow this as the Tenth’s right hand man, he was saying this as Sawada Tsunayoshi’s friend.

And he was a man of his words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gokudera and Yamamoto are still teenagers...their worlds aren't filled with a lot of calculation like Reborn's yet. To them, their friend's happiness would probably mean more instead of if Toji will be a threat to the family (like how irl you know your friend's partner/friend is trash but hey, what can you do? Love is blind). 
> 
> Also, Yamamoto didn't see Toji stabbing Tsuna first hand + considering his personality I think he will be a bit more optimistic in this scenario. Gokudera's background gives him some insight into what Reborn is thinking and I know he can come across as someone that is very insistent on living in his own logic (like in canon how he decided to follow Tsuna and kept calling him tenth) but I don't think he is just that...he's got a pretty considerate side too.
> 
> But yeah, Toji intentionally came to piss people off ;)


	22. Calm Before The Storm - 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: **This chapter contains spoilers for JJK.**

21

Gojo Satoru recently died.

And he came back to life.

The mission had been given by the great Tengen, a jujutsu sorcerer whose cursed technique was immortality. Tengen had selected him and his best friend, Getou Suguru, for the job because they were the strongest. 

They were to protect and escort the Star Plasma Vessel to Master Tengen.

Now, having immortality doesn’t mean Tengen doesn’t age. Once the body gets too old, Tengen would enter an evolution of some sort. Call it enlightenment if you like. Tengen would become something higher than humans. 

And that was exactly the problem.

Ascending to a higher state meant Tengen was no longer Tengen. There wouldn’t be a will or mind left to maintain the barriers around the jujutsu schools or the ones securing all the vile curses. Even worse, if Tengen could become a mindless enemy.

This was where the Star Plasma Vessel came in.

Someone that was compatible. Someone that could merge with Tengen and rewrite the information of Tengen’s body. If the body gets updated, the cursed technique of immortality will also reset. 

No evolution. 

Peace lasts for another five hundred years.

There should have only been one enemy. A group of jujutsu sorcerers called “Q” who wanted to see the fall of order. Gojo and Getou didn’t consider the other group to be a threat. 

The Time Vessel Association wasn’t supposed to be in the picture.

They were a religious group that worshiped Tengen but believed the merging would taint their god’s purity. Yet they were all human...non-jujutsu sorcerers to be exact.

They shouldn’t have been a threat.

Getou and Gojo defeated assassins from Q without breaking a sweat. They were the strongest after all.

The black haired teen with a lock of hair falling down the right side of his forehead and piercing in both of his ears laughed as he watched Gojo get slapped by the girl in his arms.

Aiko Amanai.

The Star Plasma Vessel.

She was a lively one and thought they were her attackers. While still in her junior high school uniform, she stood with her chest puffed out and talked with a lot of spunk. 

Gojo didn’t dislike her.

Things were going smoothly until someone put out a hit on Aiko’s head for thirty million yen on the dark web. 

The reward attracted freelance killers. Gojo and Getou had to split up to deal with the different attackers. They won, of course. But they also lost Misato in the chaos.

Misato was Aiko’s maid.

Family to be exact. She was the girl’s caretaker since Aiko’s parents died.

She was taken during the fight and they set out to save her. It was kind of funny too. They found her in Okinawa and apprehended the kidnappers pretty quickly.

Now they were at the beach. 

“Satoru,” Getou whispered quietly beside the white haired teen’s ear. The girls were playing in the water so they wouldn’t hear them. “Are you sure we should delay our flight back to Jujutsu High? You’ve been using your cursed technique nonstop haven’t you? What about sleep?”

Getou noticed. Gojo smiled. He didn’t expect to be able to fool his friend from the start. Still, he punched Getou on the arm lightly. “I’m good because you’re here too.”

Then they had fun. They ate shaved ice cream and went to the aquarium. Aiko looked like she was having fun.

It was good. 

Because she was going to die tomorrow when she merged with Tengen during the full moon. She knew it. She had accepted it as her fate too.

“Tengen is me and I am Tengen,” she had said with a smirk. “My will shall live on within Tengen!”

Gojo didn’t know if that was a comforting thing but he thought he could at least make her last day filled with smiles.

Even if he had to exert himself. 

They returned to Jujutsu High on time. Once they were inside the barrier, Gojo relaxed and deactivated his cursed technique. The Limitless enabled him to repel any attacks so he had kept it running nonstop but the toll on his brain was heavy too. He was tired.

“No more babysitting,” he grumbled. 

“Hey!” Aiko looked like she wanted to punch him.

Gojo lifted a smile but then his body jolted. His blue eyes looked down and he saw a blade sticking out of his chest.

Someone was behind him.

And he didn’t notice, not even with his six eyes.

 _Impossible._

He glanced back and through his shades, he saw a man with a scar on his lips.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” Gojo managed a grin even with a sword through his chest. It didn’t hit anything vital so that was good.

He could still fight.

“Don’t sweat it,” the man laughed and his green eyes glistened with a thirst for battle. “I’m not one to remember a dude’s name either.” 

“Satoru!”

Gojo mentioned for Getou to run. To get Aiko to Tengen. He would deal with their assassin here.

“The bounty has been lifted, idiot.” Gojo took off his sunglasses and jeered at the man standing on the torri [1].

“Yeah, because I set it like that. If there was no time limit you probably won’t stop your cursed technique until the merging finished right?” 

This man was a monster purely on physical prowess alone. He had zero cursed energy so Gojo couldn’t track him. Even if he followed the flow of cursed energy from the cursed spirit tangled upon the man’s body, he was simply too fast to keep up with. 

And Gojo ended up with a dagger in his throat. 

Blood filled his mouth along with saliva. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move.

He gave up on defense and offense right then. Even as the man rammed the blade into his thigh and stuck another through his forehead, Gojo stopped resisting.

Instead, he poured everything he had into perfecting the reverse technique. 

He wanted to live.

He wanted to live.

And he did it. In the moment of his death, as he bled out and laid in a pool of his own blood upon the wrecked ground, he learned how to use the reverse technique.

He became the strongest.

He killed the representative of the Time Vessel Association, the one that had requested for Aiko’s death. It was a man with his hair slicked back and thin eyes. Gojo didn’t know if he was the insane one or not.

He didn’t feel any hatred or anger at the cult members, not even as they applauded Aiko’s death. 

All he knew was that, he was the strongest. He was invincible and it felt great.

He stood by Aiko’s lifeless corpse. 

The assassin with a scar on his mouth was nowhere to be found.

Gojo took back Aiko’s body. 

Getou was fine. He got healed by their resident healer and classmate, Shouko.

Then Gojo went to investigate the man that killed him. 

Zenin.

This man had to be connected to the Zenins. That face and heavenly restriction? There was no mistake in it.

He got a name.

_Zenin Toji._

The Sorcerer Killer as he was known amongst the shamans. A notorious hitman all around with enough bad rumors to boot. But Gojo’s search nearly came back empty after that. This man...he was a disgrace to the Zenins. A tainted spot whose mere existence tainted the Zenin’s name so even most of the Zenins themselves didn't know about this man's existence. They had wiped him from their family tree. Disowned and casted out. Erased from every single literature and photographic source Gojo could locate. He wasn’t going to find anything more.

So he stopped.

He was busy perfecting his domain and skills too. He didn’t have time to waste on chasing the ghost of an assassin.

The higher ups started sending him on missions alone. He was the strongest. He didn’t need reinforcement and it would free up their manpower. Gojo yawned as he stretched out. 

He had just finished another mission. A grade two, almost grade one cused spirit in Saitama. 

Like always, he won.

It was still pretty early in the morning and the streets were basically empty. 

_Should I get something for breakfast?_ He was kind of hungry but he had gotten blood on his black uniform and he didn’t really want to eat in this.

That was when he saw it.

He saw the man with a scar on his lips and green eyes sitting in the park. The man was in baggy clothing that looked comfortable. He sat on the park’s bench with the newspaper in hand.

Gojo stood in front of him and lifted a smile.

“Long time no see.” 

“...No way.” Toji looked startled. “Reverse technique?”

“Bingo.” Gojo lifted his bangs so the man could see the scar on his forehead. A reminder of his death. “You should have chopped my head off or used that cursed tool to cut my brain when you had the chance. That’s why you lost.”

Toji laughed. It was a bloodthirsty and cold laugh.

“Lost?” He got up and there was the cursed tool that took Gojo’s life the last time in his hand. “The battle has just begun.”

Grinning, Gojo prepared to attack but then his six eyes saw something else. Someone else was in this park with them.

A child.

The young boy emerged from the woods behind the bench. He had spiky black hair and green eyes. Just like Toji’s.

“Da-da,” he called but eyed Gojo suspiciously. 

The white haired teen stopped. His tongue was numb as he stared at the nearly identical facial features before him. 

“You have a son?” he finally managed to gag out. 

“Yeah, this is Megumi.” Toji put away his weapon and mentioned for the boy to come closer. He picked the child off the ground and Gojo found it completely disturbing to imagine this man with a loving family.

A family.

This man?

This has got to be a joke. 

“Tsuna is with whitey.”

Gojo didn’t know what the kid meant. Maybe Megumi has a brother?

“Is that so?” Toji patted the boy’s head. “Let’s go find them then.”

“Wait...that kid!” Gojo stopped them as his eyes widened. He couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him right now. “Don’t tell me he’s—”

He couldn’t say it. It was impossible.

_Impossible._

Toji tilted his head to the side then he grinned as he realized what Gojo wanted to say.

“He is.” The man turned to his son. A hint of malicious intent lined his tone as he said, “Show him.”

Megumi looked hesitant but complied to his father’s order. He put his small hands together and Gojo could see the flow of cursed energy gathering.

“Divine dogs.”

A black dog emerged from the shadows beneath their feet. It was true then. His eyes hadn’t deceived him.

“The Ten Shadows,” Gojo muttered. The one technique that was said to be able to rival his Limitless in history.

And this child has it.

The child of someone with zero cursed energy inherited it.

The son of the man that killed him once had the Ten Shadows.

His reaction might have amused Toji as the killer set his son down. “Megumi, go stay with Tsuna for now alright? I’ll be right there.”

“Okay.” The boy waved goodbye at Gojo before running off, headed into the woods again. 

“The Zenins don’t know about him.” 

Gojo was sure about that. There was no way he wouldn’t have known about it if the Zenins knew of Megumi’s existence. This child was a genius in jujutsu.

“They don’t,” Toji agreed easily. “I thought about selling him to them but someone will get mad if I do.”

His words were cruel, with a complete disregard for his son’s wellbeing. Gojo frowned. “You’re trash.”

“I won’t deny that. So how about it? In two or three years, how about you train him?” Toji was smiling and Gojo didn’t like it one bit. “Do whatever you want.”

“What?” 

“I don’t care if he becomes a jujutsu sorcerer or not. Giving him to the Zenins or to someone else doesn’t really make much difference to me either so long as I get paid. But you’re a Gojo right? The Gojos and the Zenins despise each other.” The killer shrugged. “So take him. It’d be fun to see the looks on those old geezers faces when they realized the Ten Shadows had fallen into a Gojo’s hands. Less work for me too.”

Gojo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His face twisted with disgust as he stared after where Megumi had disappeared to. That child has no knowledge that his father just tried to give him away as if he was a freebie pack of napkins the man got on the streets. “You really are a scumbag. What makes you think I won’t kill you right here?”

“Sure, go ahead and try.”

Toji turned and left while laughing.

His back was open.

It was the perfect opportunity to strike.

Yet Gojo only watched. 

Gojo let him go because...because there was a child waiting for his father in the park. A child with such a strong potential to become a great jujutsu sorcerer. 

And he couldn’t let Megumi return to find his father’s corpse.

He might be the strongest jujutsu sorcerer alive right now but that didn’t mean he was heartless. He didn’t know if his actions would cause another great curse to be born.

So for now, he only watched as the man disappeared into the woods.

#

Tsuna watched as Nana continued to pump out delicious and extravagant dishes onto the dining table. All sorts of meats, vegetables cut and curved into cute and easy to eat sizes...the smell of food made his mouth water.

Strange. 

“Mama? Did something good happen?” Fuuta asked while he ate with Bianchi. 

The housewife kept humming a happy tune as she cooked. Tsuna knew she was in her own world again. 

“Mom?” he called.

The frying pan sizzled. 

“Mom?” he yelled a bit louder.

“Oh, Tsu-kun!” She finally turned around and she had the brightest smile on her face.

“What’s going on?”

“I haven’t told you yet?” She looked surprised but waved the chopsticks in her hand and she announced, “Daddy is coming home!”

“...Who is coming home now?”

“Your father! Silly.”

“He’s alive?” Tsuna knew he probably was judging from Reborn’s words so far. But his mom knew? Did she know about the mafia as well?

“Of course! I’ve kept in touch with him all this time. He went to dig up oil in a foreign country.” She showed him a postcard consisting of glaciers and penguins. 

Tsuna gave up on trying to say anything. He rubbed his temple and handed it back to the overjoyed woman. 

“He is a romantic. He said to tell Tsuna that he became one with the stars before he left.”

 _Toji-san…help..._ Tsuna felt his lips twitched and his migraine coming back. This was just...way too outrageous even for him to get mad anymore. 

“Tsuna-Nii,” Fuuta tugged on his shirt. “Aren’t you happy your dad is coming back?”

He tried to smile at the boy and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw how excited Nana was. Tsuna patted Fuuta on the head and said, “Sure.”

But truth to be told he just wished this was a bad nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Torri = The red (usually) gate at the entrance of a shrine. 
> 
> Gojo Satoru: A very important character in JJK. He is Megumi's teacher in canon. Literally the strongest. No jokes. His cursed technique is hard to explain but it basically lets him control space at the atomic level. So he can repel, pull things towards him, delete mass, float, and teleport. It is also near impossible for an attack to land on him. 
> 
> Getou Suguru: The curse manipulator. He is Gojo's best friend.


	23. Squalo - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am ok. LOL
> 
> Thank you all for being concerned. I eat three meals a day (not instant noodle or take out), I go do what I got to do during the day, shower, clean, chores, and exercise...so I'm alright :)
> 
> Also, I'm not sure why it's showing as double updates but on my end it's usually been a day or half of one between when I write. I will definitely take care of myself!

22

It was a Sunday.

After Tsuna had told Gokudera and Yamamoto about his father returning soon, they must have noticed he wasn’t really enthusiastic. They convinced him to go out somewhere and Yamamoto invited all their friends.

Kyoko, Haru, Lambo, I-pin, and Fuuta all tagged along. Bianchi said she was going out of town to get some good ingredients so she didn’t come. Meanwhile, Tsuna hasn’t seen Reborn around in a while. Maybe he had finally given up?

This was a messy group. 

_Also..._

“Why is _he_ here?” Gokudera pointed to the black haired man besides Tsuna with a disgusted face. 

Toji had an unlit smoke in his mouth as he smiled at the silver haired teen. He came in pretty normal clothing today, jeans and a plain shirt. Nothing flamboyant or formal. “Tsuna invited me. Got a problem with it, kid?”

Technically Tsuna didn’t. He just texted the news about his dad over and Toji came. He does that a lot now. Just randomly popping by around Tsuna while the teen was with his friends. It was a childish game of trying to irritate everyone else (especially Reborn if he was around). But Tsuna doesn’t complain.

Toji-san was having fun and it doesn’t involve blood or a nameless woman that was going to get her heart broken in a day or two. 

Maybe they could even start bringing Megumi and Tsumiki over. They would have more friends to play with. 

“You—” Veins popped along Gokudera’s forehead as his hands dug into his pockets.

“Hey now, the more the merrier right?” Yamamoto stopped him as he laughed. “Where should we go first?”

“The arcade!” Fuuta raised his hand excitedly.

The baseball star gave him a thumbs up. “Sure, you want a match, Gokudera?”

“Like hell I will lose to you!”

The two were their usual rowdy self with their bickering and fighting. Tsuna couldn’t help but smile as they strolled down the busy street. 

Kyoko suddenly spoke up, “Hey, where did Lambo go?”

Tsuna turned around and he felt his face go red. Lambo didn’t go missing. He was just in a girl’s undergarment shop _and_ he was holding a pink bra with lace over his eyes like it was a mask.

“Eyeball torpedo, fire!” the kid yelled and mimicked the sound of lasers with his mouth. 

“Lambo!” Tsuna yelled in utter embarrassment and raced over in a hurry to grab the kid off the racks. He snatched the bra out of Lambo’s hands and placed it back before profusely apologizing to the store clerk. 

After he had dragged the kid out of the shop, Lambo tugged on his shirt and demanded, “Lambo-sama is thirsty, Tsuna!”

Tsuna groaned. 

Megumi and Tsumii were definitely much easier to deal with.

“Need a hand?” Toji’s voice came from behind them. He sounded way too amused. 

Tsuna looked at the man questioningly. 

Toji patted him on the head and picked Lambo up by the back of his collar before grinning viciously. “Behave,” he ordered. 

There was an underling _or else_. Even Lambo must have noticed it. The kid cowered into a ball as Toji set him back in Tsuna’s arms. 

“Toji-san.” Tsuna rolled his eyes at him. 

The man draped his arm around Tsuna’s shoulder. “Works like a charm!”

Lambo looked like he was about to cry but one glance from Toji and he clammed up tight. Well...maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing if Toji could get Lambo under control.

Tsuna sighed when he saw the kid in his arm trying so hard to hold back the tears. “Alright, let’s go get something to drink. Yamamoto-kun, you guys go ahead first.”

“Lambo-sama...want donuts too.”

“Okay, okay.”

Tsuna bought a drink for Lambo from the vending machine. He didn’t notice that Gokudera had walked up to Toji and scowled. 

“Why aren’t you paying? You’re the adult here aren’t you?” 

“I don’t pay the bills for man,” Toji replied easily. 

“But you paid for the Tenth the other day.”

“Cause he’s Tsuna.”

Gokudera looked like he had been punched in the guts but he said nothing else. He turned to Yamamoto and declared loudly that he would overwhelm him in the arcade game and they went off with Fuuta.

When Tsuna returned, all he saw was Toji smiling at him. 

The killer wanted coffee so he walked a little further away. Tsuna and Lambo sat down to wait for him. Suddenly, he felt something cold pressed against his face.

“Here you go,” Kyoko said as she gave him the juice. 

“Ah, thank you.” 

Kyoko sat down across from him. She still had that soft smile on but there was also something else brewing within her eyes. 

“Tsuna-kun.” She was looking straight at him. It felt weird, as if there she was trying to right through his skin and bones into his soul. He didn’t particularly dislike the feeling. It felt nice even...because he sensed concern in her words.

“Are you happy?” Kyoko asked gently. 

He didn’t know why she asked but he does know the answer. He saw Toji coming back and he wasn’t just holding coffee. He had a box of donuts with him as well. 

Tsuna smiled. “Yes, I am.”

“Then I’m relieved.” 

That seemed to be all she needed. Kyoko went to help I-pin get a drink without another word. 

“They sure are a nosy bunch.” Toji shoved a donut into Tsuna’s hand as he sat down. Quietly, Lambo grabbed some from the opened box and ran off towards I-pin. He even made a face at Toji as he ran away.

Tsuna laughed softly. If Toji had wanted, he would have caught Lambo before the kid could even land a finger on the treats. Toji only huffed and drank his coffee in silence. 

“Toji-san,” he asked quietly. “Do you think we can bring Megumi and Tsumiki over next time?”

“Maybe. If the times can work out.”

“Time?”

He cracked a sly smile. 

“I found Megumi a tutor,” Toji announced proudly. “Guess what? The Gojo’s boy isn’t dead. He sure is one real hard fucker to kill.”

“...You ran into him again?” _And you didn’t get into a fight with him?_ He wanted to ask the last part more but Tsuna held his tongue. 

“Yep, he is fully alive and kicking. Probably awakened and became the apex of the jujutsu world as well.” 

“Toji-san...did Gojo-san agree explicitly that he was going to be Megumi’s tutor?” 

When the man only smiled at him, Tsuna got his answer. 

He sighed. “You’re really horrible.”

Although he has never seen the jujutsu sorcerer in person, Tsuna felt bad for Gojo already.

“But the kid’s got a teacher now. He’s a Gojo and he doesn’t look like the type that’d stick to all the rules and traditions. Even if the Zenins come after him...Megumi would be fine.” Toji wasn’t looking at Tsuna when he said that. His eyes were directed to the blue sky. “And we don’t need to kill him afterwards.”

_Ah._

Tsuna felt his lips move but no sound came out. He reached a hand across the table to hold the man’s hand. The teen felt a light squeeze and he smiled. 

_Thank you._

That was when they both heard a noise that doesn’t belong to the streets. 

An explosion went off not far from where they were. Tsuna looked up but he felt himself being pulled back as something landed on where he stood a second ago. Toji had an arm hooked around Tsuna’s waist as he whistled at the grande explosion before their eyes.

Something, no, someone had smashed right into where he was sitting. 

A teen about Tsuna’s age was on the ground. He had brown hair and there was a fire burning on his forehead.

_The dying will flame?_

The teen looked like he was in pain but he struggled up. When his eyes landed on Tsuna, there was something that resembled recognition within them. 

“Thou!”

“...Thou?” In the 21st century? Tsuna was sure there was something real strange going on with the teen. Normal people don’t have the dying will flame...and they don’t speak like they came from an ancient time either.

“Tenth!”

“Tsuna, are you alright?”

His friends came running towards them as Toji set him down. 

“I’m fine...” _But that guy doesn’t look fine._ Tsuna could see how tired the other teen was. His hair was a mess and there were bruises and scratches all over his body. Soot and dust covered his clothing and some blood was smeared over his face. 

“VOIIIIII!” A loud voice rang through the atmosphere. It was so loud Tsuna thought it could shatter glass. “Where did all these outsiders come from? I will slice you up if you trash get in the way!” 

On top of one of the buildings, a man with long silver hair was watching them. He wore all black and he had a sword on his left hand. With a few swings, he slashed at the ground and the tiles cracked. 

People ran and screamed.

“He’s pretty good,” Toji whistled with a grin. 

The brown haired teen came up to Tsuna. “My apologies, Lord Sawada. I have been followed.”

“I’m sorry but who—”

He didn’t give Tsuna the chance to finish. “Please! Let’s find a safe place and I have something to tell thee.”

But he wasn’t quick enough since the silver haired swordsman already landed in front of them.

“No more games,” he spat but then his sharp eyes landed on Tsuna and confusion flashed across his face. “Who’s this? Doesn’t matter...I will get you to spill everything soon.” 

The teen in front of Tsuna held up his triangular looking weapon to defend as the swordsman’s sword came down. He was powerful, as his strike sent the teen flying into the shop’s windows and made a cut across his flesh. 

“Hey,” the swordsman called while directing his blade at Tsuna. “What’s your relationship to him. Answer me.”

“I don’t know him.” Tsuna shrugged. It was kind of a cold gesture but he had long learned sometimes things aren't what they seemed. For instance, the one being chased down could have stolen something real important or maybe they were mortal enemies with generations old blood feuds.

The swordsman doesn’t believe it.

But bombs dropped at that moment and it forced the man to retreat.

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on that person!” Gokudera has his dynamites out. Yamamoto was also standing next to him with his bat. 

Wait. Bat?

Yamamoto didn’t have it with him when they came out.

_Reborn._

Tsuna was going to be absolutely pissed if this was another team bonding exercise staged by the baby hitman. 

“Ha!” The swordsman laughed cruelly. “If you go against me you would die.”

And he charged at Yamamoto. They clashed head on but Tsuna could tell his friend didn’t stand a chance. 

“Yamamoto!”

Gunpowder exploded from the man’s sword and when the dust settled, Yamamoto was on the ground. Gokudera didn’t last long either as he got knocked right in the head and slammed into the floor. 

“Toji-san,” Tsuna called when he realized the swordsman had no intention of stopping. This wasn’t looking good.

“Alright.” The man rolled up his sleeves and cracked his knuckles. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to exercise a little today.”

And he landed a hard punch on the silver haired man’s face. 

“Who are you?” their opponent asked as he spat out saliva mixed with blood. 

“Does that matter?” Toji questioned with an arched eyebrow.

“It doesn’t,” he agreed with a nod. “Because you’re going to die right now!”

Explosions set off and the smoke and dust shielded Tsuna’s view. He could hear the sound of swords clashing and things being broken. Suddenly, a pair of mittens landed on his head.

“Reborn?”

“You should keep those on you at all times.”

“Did you plan this?” He mentioned towards the chaos.

“Nope.”

Tsuna thinks he was telling the truth, which made this whole situation even more problematic. He went over to the brown haired teen, who was panting and struggling to get up. “Are you alright?”

“Yes...My name is Basil.” He held out a black box to Tsuna. “I was asked by my master to deliver this to thee. Please take it and flee.”

“Flee from what? Also, what is this?” Tsuna opened the box and he found what looked like pieces of rings inside. They were extravagant and curved with fine elaborate details.

“So that’s how it is...You're the one they were talking about.” The swordsman’s voice boomed near them. Only, his breathing was more ragged and shallow. “I will have to take that from you after I slice you into pieces.”

His black uniform was slashed in multiple places and there was blood coming down the side of his right arm. In an instant, he jumped to the side and there was a light slash on his neck, allowing blood to seep out in droplets.

“Slice who into pieces?” Toji laughed as he stood before Tsuna. He had a blade in hand but it wasn’t a cursed tool.

The swordsman looked like he wanted to attack again. He lowered his center of gravity and his sword was pointed right at Toji. 

“This is embarrassing, Superbi Squalo.”

That voice. It was Dino.

Tsuna turned around and he saw the blond coming near with his subordinates behind him. 

“Bucking Horse.” The swordsman, Squalo, acknowledged with distaste in his voice. 

“I would say I will be your opponent but it looks like you’ve already got your hands full.” Dino eyed Toji with a weary look. 

“Him? I can kill him in no time,” Squalo said. “I’m not going back until I get the Vongola rings.”

“Vongola rings?” Tsuna looked down at the box in his hand. He got it now. “Hey, Squalo right? Here.”

He tossed the box over. Everyone looked shocked as they stared at him with opened mouths. Only Toji had the nerve to start laughing. 

“What’s the meaning of this, kid?” Squalo narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously.

“You can go now. You have the rings.”

Tsuna scratched his head. “It’s Vongola again isn’t it? I don’t really want to be involved with any of this mafia business so take it and go.”

“Lord Sawada—” Basil was panicking so Toji put him to sleep by delivering a chop to the back of the teen’s neck.

“Tsuna!” Dino sounded worried too but Toji pointed his sword at him and clicked his tongue. 

Squalo was looking at him weirdly, as if he just saw Tsuna walking on his hands instead of his legs. In the end, he didn’t say anything as he disappeared from the scene.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Tsuna saw Yamamoto and Gokudera running near. They didn’t look seriously injured. 

“Tsuna,” Dino came closer but he stopped just a few feet away because Toji was still beside Tsuna. 

“Dino-san,” Tsuna greeted with a smile. “I think Basil needs a hospital.”

And they needed to talk about what the fuck just happened. 

#

Reborn sent Yamamoto and Gokudera home with some merciless words. Judging from their expressions, Tsuna didn’t think it would be a good time to talk to them either. He made sure they were okay and didn’t need a doctor before seeing them off. 

Dino and Reborn took them to a private hospital, where Basil got treated. They told him about the legacy of those rings and all Tsuna understood was that he never wanted to see those things again.

A symbol for the successor.

He wanted no part of it.

“...That’s not all is it?” Toji asked as he sat down on the chair. “If those things were really that important, you wouldn’t have just watched Tsuna throw it to the enemy so easily.”

“That’s right,” Dino took out the exact same box from his pocket. “I have the real thing right here, given to me by someone that wants you to have them.”

“So that one over there was a decoy?” Toji pointed to the teen on the bed. “Whoever gave you those rings sure is cold.”

Dino’s expression soured as he muttered, “Somehow I don’t want to hear that from you.”

Toji only grinned at him. 

Tsuna rubbed his temple with a tired look. “I don’t want anything to do with the mafia. Give those to someone else please.”

The teen turned to walk out of the hospital room. 

“Tsuna,” Reborn started and he took a few steps closer. Only, he was stopped by Toji, who was leaning against one side of the doorframe and placed his foot on the opposite side, blocking Reborn’s path to Tsuna. 

“The brat said no,” Toji warned in a low voice. “If you’re smart you’d drop it.”

And he left while holding Tsuna’s hand.

Dino frowned as he watched them leave. 

“He got faster didn’t he?” Dino hadn’t seen how Toji moved from the chair to the door. “That guy was probably only messing around with Squalo too. I thought you’d taken care of him already, Reborn.”

“I am trying.” Reborn had been visiting psychologists and therapists. He was no doctor and a disease of the mind was always harder to treat than a physical one. They needed a plan and a way to safely detach Tsuna from the Heavenly Tyrant. He couldn’t just kill the man...that would do no good for his student.

Still, he kicked Dino in the shin, causing his first student to land on the ground howling. 

“That,” he said darkly, “was for falling for his act back at the bar. You still have a long way to go, Dino.”

And so does he.

#

“Say hi to Megumi and Tsumiki for me.” Tsuna let go of Toji’s hand at the shrine. 

“You’re not coming?”

There was a hint of surprise in the man’s voice as he stared at Tsuna.

“No...I think I should be here when,” he paused, pondering if he could really say the word. “When Dad comes back. It would make Mom happy.”

Toji sighed but he ruffled Tsuna’s hair and disappeared into the mirror. 

The teen returned home and the instant he got close, he knew something was wrong. 

Rows of men’s clothing were hanging on the drying racks while there was a pair of muddy boots at the front door. He saw a hard hat and a pickaxe. 

_This?_

“Tsuna,” Bianchi greeted. “Mama went out to buy more food. Papa is back.”

_Papa?_

Then he saw Fuuta and Lambo walking towards him, both swaying as if they couldn’t tell up from down and left from right.

“Tsuna-Nii!” Fuuta said with red all over his face.

“What are you doing with sake?” Tsuna grabbed the bottle from the kid and frowned. He walked into the living room and the sight before him made his mind go numb.

Empty bottles and opened bags of junk food littered the floor. Dirty dishes, half-eaten food, and other garbage was piled out all around too. Their usually clean space was contaminated.

Tsuna stared at the disaster before him.  
There was a man.

The man in the center of this mess had blond hair and stubs on his chin. He was in a plain white tank top and boxers as he laid sleeping on the ground. 

Tsuna didn’t know this face...but he knew this scene.

“Nana...” the man mumbled while smacking his lips.

Tsuna groaned.

As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew this man.

This was his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toji's relationship with his kids is complicate. In canon, I think he kind of just gave up on everything after his first wife died. He didn't care any more but there is still some kind of bond (or love). If you get that far in JJK, you will probably see (sobs). 
> 
> He's not going to be father of the year...heck he might not even make a very decent dad at all but he still kind of did the basics. Also, yeah Tsuna is totally going to smack him whenever he slips towards the jackass side.


	24. Iemitsu - 1

23

Tsuna never had a very clear memory of his father. 

Sawada Iemitsu.

This man was a faint ghost in his childhood. There was a shadow here and there, maybe a hearty laugh and broken pieces of an affection somewhere along the stream of time. Maybe a hug, maybe an overly smittened call of “Tuna-fish”, and some other variations of what constituted family bonding.

But overall, he knew next to nothing about his father. 

He didn’t know what he did for a living. He didn’t know what his hobbies were. He barely even knew the man’s face.

Now his absent father was right in front of his eyes.

Tsuna stared at the man’s sleeping form. All he could tell was that Iemitsu was about Toji’s height and had a decently muscular build. This was the man that left him and Nana alone all these years. 

Without thinking, Tsuna set the alcohol down and turned out into the hallway. He went into the washroom and got a bucket of water. Tsuna passed by Reborn on the way back to the living room and the baby hitman followed curiously. 

Tsuna emptied the bucket over Iemitsu’s head.

Sadly, it didn’t hit. 

The man’s eyes snapped open and he rolled out of the way at the last moment. Amber gold eyes stared into Tsuna’s brown ones and the teen struggled to find any resemblance. 

“Hey Dad,” he greeted as he sat the bucket down.

“Tsuna!” The man reached a hand towards him but Tsuna dodged it. “Are you that excited to see daddy?”

Iemitsu was jabbering something else, school maybe and asking about Tsuna’s days like any normal dad would. Tsuna wasn’t really listening. 

He took in a deep breath and he stared into the supposedly drunk man’s eyes with the blankest expression he could manage. Tsuna said, “We need to talk.”

His reaction might have surprised Iemitsu because the man sat up.

“About…?” 

“Vongola.”

That answer got his full attention. The goofy grin on Iemitsu’s face was gone, replaced by a blank state of something that made Tsuna’s skin crawl. 

“What do you want to know, son?” He didn’t sound like that idiot father anymore. The man before him felt more like the head of the Zenin family or one of those higher-ups of the jujutsu world. They had that same calmness, the same sort of arrogance and confidence. 

Tsuna sat down across from him. Reborn was there too but he didn’t sit. 

“You work for Vongola right?” Tsuna asked.

“I do.”

He admitted that much easier than Tsuna expected.

“Your father is the head of CEDEF, the external advisor team that steps in when the family is in trouble,” Reborn explained calmly and he talked about the structure of power between the CEDEF and Vonogla’s boss.

“Head of the external advisors...” Tsuna suddenly remembered what Reborn had said before and he felt his blood go cold. “It was you then. You nominated me to be the heir.”

“Yes, I did.” Iemitsu nodded. “You’re the only candidate left.”

_Why?_

Tsuna wanted to scream at him but he held his tongue. There was something else more important right now. 

“A swordsman with silver hair attacked me and my friends today. Do you know anything about it?”

“His name is Superbi Squalo. He is a part of the independent assassination team, the Varia, under Vongola Nono.”

“And what will these assassins do once they realize the rings they took were fake?” Tsuna clenched his hands into fists tight in his lap.

“They will come get the real ones.” It was Reborn who answered. “They probably won’t notice for at least ten days. During this time, you will have to train vigorously so you can take on the Varia when they come. Protecting the rings is what the Tenth should do.”

“I don’t want to be boss.” Tsuna glanced between Reborn and Iemitsu. Both of them had a serious expression even though the teen wished this was only a bad joke. “I don’t want anything to do with this mafia business. I don’t want my friends to get hurt and I don’t like violence.”

“This isn’t up to you now,” Iemitsu warned and there was no longer a trace of warmth in his voice. “This is the duty of the Vongola’s heir. The Varia will be coming and a fight is inevitable.”

“Inevitable?” Tsuna wanted to laugh. “Why can’t I just hand it over to them? Problem solved. If they want the rings so bad then they must have someone they want on the throne right? Someone more mafia and more fitting than a middle schooler.”

“The Varia’s leader...his name is Xanxus. It would be dangerous for the family if he becomes the next boss.” The man’s expression didn’t change as he shook his head. “He is a very violent person and Nono doesn't think he will do the future of the family much good.”

“But he wants the position, I don’t.”

Iemitsu sighed as if Tsuna was being unreasonable. He placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder as his voice softened. “Tsuna, I know this is hard for you but it’s time for you to man up.”

Man up?

The words echoed within Tsuna’s head as if someone had blasted a speaker on repeat inside his brain. 

“I never signed up for this.”

“Running away won’t solve your problems.”

“I can’t do this.”

“You must fight to protect your friends and everyone you cherish.”

It felt like they were talking on different wavelengths. There was that sense of authority over pouring from Iemitsu’s voice that signalled there was no room for argument. Tsuna’s eyes found Reborn’s and the hitman only stared at him expectedly. As if he was waiting for Tsuna to cave in, that the teen was going to be mature and stand up against the forthcoming evil. 

Tsuna didn’t understand it. 

Why were they trying to push their agendas on him? If blood was so important then Iemitsu could do it. He has the blood, the experience, the connections, and the power all in his grasp already.

Why him?

He tried to think of something, some words to say that would show the two mafia men he wasn’t interested. This wasn’t his fight.

But they were making it his.

Tsuna looked back to his father. No, this wasn’t his father before him. This was the head of CEDEF. Sawada Iemitsu might claim that he loved his wife and son, but his loyalty lay with Vongola. 

And loyalty came before love. 

Tsuna tried to smile as a bitter taste spread on his tongue.

Love? He wasn’t expecting that sort of thing from a father that was never home. But he would at least expect his father to listen. Not a meek “you can do it”, and a thumbs up as he watched him fall into the flames.

Worst. Iemitsu had nominated him as heir.

Unwillingly or not, he had pushed him into the flames in the name of love. 

Tsuna didn’t want a crown drenched in blood. He didn’t care for a throne or wealth beyond his imaginations. 

It was so hard to breath. 

Tsuna felt his world shrunk. All he could see was the man’s lips moving in front of him but he heard no sound. There was a tightness in his chest and he felt a stinging pain bursting down his limbs. 

He thinks he might faint.

Tsuna stood up. The world was no longer in distinct colors.

He thinks he heard Reborn asking if he was ok. Iemitsu stood up too and the man tried to come closer.

“No,” Tsuna raised his voice loud as he stumbled away. “I said no. Don’t come close to me.”

“Tsuna,” Reborn sounded concerned as he dramatically inhaled and exhaled. “Breath. Follow my breathing.”

It was so hard to breath.

Everything that happened so far felt like it had been staged. From Reborn’s arrival, Gokudera, Yamamoto...the fight at Kokuyou, it was as if everyone was trying to push him onto that perfect stage to play the main lead like a puppet on strings. 

They don’t need Sawada Tsunayoshi.

They need Vongola Tenth.

Only Vongola Tenth.

And they were going to drag other innocent people into that hell. 

His world went black. There was a rough hand over his eyes and a warm chest behind his head. The scent was familiar and there was that faint trace of sweet metallic smell. 

“Looks like I came at a pretty bad time.”

It was Toji.

Tsuna felt the tremblings in his body stopped. He grabbed onto the arm around his waist as he bites down on his bottom lip to prevent the tears from coming down. He didn’t want to cry in front of Iemitsu.

He didn’t know why Toji was here but he didn’t care. All Tsuna could do was hang onto the man as light returned to his world.

“Toji-san?”

“Forgot to give you this. Kid won’t shut up until I deliver it.” He handed Tsuna a card. One that had a stick man with brown hair drawn on it with crayons and it was covered in glitter.

An art project.

From Megumi.

About Tsuna.

“You’re...” Iemitsu narrowed his eyes at the intruder in his house. “The Heavenly Tyrant?”

“Correct.”

“I don’t know why you’re here now but we are discussing some important business. This is a family matter and outsiders don’t have a say in this. Please leave.” Iemitsu stood tall and stoic. Like the man of the house should when danger threatened his family.

 _Which family?_ Tsuna wondered. Vongola or Sawada? If Enrico or the other heirs didn’t die would his father even be home right now? If Vongola never needed Tsuna, would Iemitsu ever even care?

“Outsider...” Toji looked like he was in thoughts as he let go of Tsuna when he realized the teen had calmed down a little. Then, he smiled. “On the contrary, I think I’ve got every right to say something here.”

They all looked at him questioningly. 

“Hey Tsuna,” Toji said and that smile on his lips grew wider. More chaotic. 

Tsuna blinked in confusion. “Toji-san?”

Their lips met.

A hand was on the back of his head and a hot tongue slipped into his mouth. Tsuna’s eyes widened in surprise as he got pulled closer to the man. He could feel their breaths mingled together and heat crept to his cheeks. Oxygen depleted from his lungs, he could hear a soft watery sound as the tongue moved inside his mouth.

Maybe he should have pushed the man off but he was too stunned to move. 

His knees buckled and his body went limp. 

Toji pulled away. He licked his lips as he turned to the horrified Iemitsu with a malicious grin. “Do you think I can say something now?”

“You bastard! How dare you touch my son?”

A punch came directly to Toji’s face but it didn’t land. 

Toji was laughing. He dodged and blocked Iemitsu’s attacks while he pushed Tsuna out of the way. The two men kicked over the living room table as they moved the battlefield to the yard. 

Iemitsu had his pickaxe in hand and he swung it at Toji at full force. “You fucking pervert! He’s fourteen!” 

“Funny thing for a man that hasn’t seen his family in years to say.” Toji blocked it with a sword that he pulled out from the cursed spirit on his body. “Aren’t you the one that’s trying to make a fourteen years old be in charge of a mafia family?”

The pickaxe embedded itself into the ground. Cracks split the soil as Toji landed out of its reach. 

Fire. The same orange embers as Tsuna’s dying will flame lit up upon Iemitsu’s forehead. “You don’t understand a thing.”

“And I don’t plan on understanding.” Toji’s smile dropped as well. “The kid said no. I don’t like it either when you shitheads think you can push him into a role, make him tailor to your needs when you know very well that this isn’t what he wanted.”

“I am his father. I am only doing what’s best for my family.”

“Yeah? Best for Vongola or for Tsuna?”

They resumed fighting again. With punches and kicks that could break through walls. With swords clashing into the pickaxe and sending sparks of ember flying as they competed in a battle of strength. 

Toji was stronger.

Iemitsu had the experience.

Toji increased his speed.

Iemitsu upped the intensity of his flames. 

Their battle field was no longer limited to the Sawada house. They moved across rooftops quickly, while exchanging blows and explosions rocked the quiet neighbourhood. 

“Tsuna,” Reborn called and he sounded worried. “We should follow them.”

They did. Tsuna raced after them to the quiet woods at the foot of the mountain that surrounded Namimori.

Iemitsu was bleeding slightly from various cuts on his skin. Toji’s jacket had been burnt off and there was a small stinge of black upon his left thigh.

There was a boulder in Iemitsu’s hand. He had taken a chunk of the earth and was raising it with ease. He was going to throw that on Toji. Only, if they were simply to compete on strength, Toji wouldn’t lose to anyone.

The ground shook as pieces of the boulder crashed into the ground. 

“Oh? This is interesting. So the flames can do such a thing?” Toji looked amused as he switched his blade. The non-cursed one he was using had been shattered by Iemitsu’s attacks. “You’re really planning on killing me aren’t you, mafia man?”

Iemitsu managed a smile that looked more like a threat than anything else. “I am getting rid of the pests around my son.”

“Dad—” Tsuna wanted to stop them. This was a stupid battle. 

“Hey, let me ask you something.” Toji moved besides Tsuna and he placed a hand on the teen’s head. His face was a strange mix of seriousness and cool anger that Tsuna hadn’t seen in ages. “Did that fire of yours ever do something to this kid? He got that ember on his head when he was young too after I cut him in the arm.”

“You cut—” Iemitsu’s face twisted with rage but then he stopped. He eyed Toji coldly as realization bled into his eyes. “The seal? You broke the seal?”

His reaction stunned everyone else. Even Reborn halted in his tracks and frowned.

Tsuna felt as if a bucket of ice had been dumped on his head. His father knew? His father knew what had made him “Dame-Tsuna”? No...he said “seal”.

Remembering all the bullying and the painful trips or falls...Tsuna recalled all the times he was chased by stray animals, attacked by accidental balls during gym, failing and falling behind in every subject while his peers mocked and laughed at him.

No good.

Useless.

Friendless.

His head was never in the right.

_No._

_It can’t be._

Did Iemitsu _made_ him “Dame-Tsuna”?

Did his father nearly kill him? 

“Tsuna,” Toji said as the smile returned to his face. He looked like he was simply going out to get groceries as he waved the teen back down to earth. He said, “I’m going to kill your father.” 

The cursed spirit around Toji bletched. Something familiar came out of its mouth and Tsuna’s eyes widened in disbelief. It was a three sectioned staff connected by metal chains.

Toji swung it and it made contact with Iemitsu, who attempted to block it by covering his body in flames. But this wasn’t just any weapon...it wasn’t just any cursed weapon either.

This was the special grade cursed tool—Playful Cloud.

The one special grade tool that wasn’t infused or given any cursed technique when it was made. Its power solely relied on the strength of its user and amplified it by the multi-folds.

And in Toji's hands, it was a weapon of pure power and destruction. 

Iemitsu went flying into the cliff near them. Pieces of rocks went flying as the man nearly got embedded within the stone. He coughed, there was blood mixed with his saliva that drool out of his lips. The flame on his head flickered a bit and there was shock in his eyes as he got back on his feet.

He was strong. To be able to take a direct hit like that and still be standing meant he was at least on the level with grade one cursed spirits in terms of sturdiness. 

Toji grinned and his grip on the weapon tightened. 

Tsuna watched as the sorcerer killer took a few steps further and announced, “Ready to die?”


	25. Iemitsu - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's block is annoying...also this story is 50% my brain going "this sounds fun let's do it" + 50% "will this work? Fuck it, we will find out in the future". 
> 
> So yeah, most of the time I don't know what I'm writing LOL.

24

This was chaos.

The battle was out of control from the start. Tsuna watched with a dry mouth as the two men clashed again and again in a haze of smoke and fire.

They weren’t holding back any longer. This was truly a battle to the death. 

Tsuna tried to find his voice in the chaos and he barely had a grip on his own body. Reborn had to push him out of danger’s way a few times as the ground shook and stones went flying everywhere. 

Finally, Tsuna found the strength to speak. 

“Stop!” he shouted but his word was lost to the sound of explosions going off. 

“Tsuna, you should move a bit further away.” Reborn landed on his shoulder. “It’s too dangerous to stay so close to a fight on this level in your state.”

“I’m not going to leave them like this.” Tsuna gestured to the madness unfolding before their eyes. “This is idiotic and a complete pain to the whole city.”

They didn’t have any assistant directors to put down a screen or barrier that would shield the normal people from seeing this...and to go into an all out brawl like this was both stupid and dangerous. He could just imagine the morning news tomorrow and he dreaded every single second his imagination lasted. 

“You can’t do anything here.”

“I can,” Tsuna insisted with a scowl. “Shoot me.”

Surprise painted over Reborn’s features. “What?”

“Shoot me with a dying will bullet or something. I’m going to stop them.”

The baby hitman studied him in silence for a few seconds before asking, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, just do it.”

So he did. The bullet entered Tsuna’s temple and his world was in flames. He could feel the power and warmth running through his veins as the flames burnt upon his hands and forehead.

_What is my dying wish?_

_I don’t want anyone to get hurt._

_I want to stop them._

And he was standing between his father and Toji before he knew it. Orange flames flared out of his hands and he could see the same fire enveloping his father’s body. 

“Tsuna,” Iemitsu’s voice was cold and hard. “Get out of the way.”

“No,” the teen rejected without hesitation. “Stop this.”

“He attacked first.”

“Because you are a shithead.” Tsuna’s tone turned harsh and bitter. “You are never here. You left me and Mom alone for all these years. You never called, you never visited, and you’re only interested in me now because you have no options left. Tell me, Dad...” That word sounded so wrong right now. “Would you even be here right now if Enrico or any of the other heirs were alive? You don’t care do you?”

“Of course I care. If Enrico or the others are alive that would be the best option. You would never be dragged into this world.” The man sounded concerned. He sounded like a real father and not just a stranger that barged into their lives after all these years.

It was too little and too late. 

“Trust me, Tsuna. I stayed away to protect you two. I am only doing what is best for you and Nana.”

“Then why are you trying to make me a mafia boss?” Tsuna tried to lift a smile but it didn’t work. “You didn’t know about Toji-san. You come waltzing back into Mom’s and my lives acting like nothing had happened. Do you know what the neighbours whisper about behind Mom’s back? Do you care that I or my friends could get killed?”

_If you really cared, you shouldn’t have been a part of the mafia._

Yamamoto’s dad lived that life once. He walked on the wire of life and death but he gave it up. Tsuna could tell because the sushi chef still had the few old habits that were a signature of those that lived in the dark and blood. 

So why couldn’t Iemitsu do the same if family was so important?

Maybe...maybe it was because the family in Iemitsu’s head wasn’t Sawada. It was Vongola. 

“Don’t bother talking to him.” Toji placed a hand on Tsuna’s shoulder. “We found the culprit, the one that made you dame. We kill him. It’s as easy as that.”

The man had sweat on his skin because of the heat of the battle. There were a few scratches and bruises on his skin. The tip of his hair had been burnt too. Iemitsu doesn’t look any better. Despite the flames, there was an opening on his left arm. Blood was flowing out of the wound. 

He had been focused on avoiding getting hit by the Playful Cloud after he realized defending against it was taking too much of a toll on his dying will and energy. It made sense, Tsuna knew that Playful Cloud could easily shatter a grade one cursed spirit’s bones...and there was bound to be a limit on how much the sky flame can defend.

That was the problem. If Iemitsu focused too much on defense, he wouldn't be able to damage Toji. But if he doesn’t, his mortal body wouldn’t be able to take a direct hit from the cursed tool. 

“Toji-san...no.” Tsuna shook his head. There were too many things he wanted to ask. He wanted to know what his father had done exactly. He wanted to know why the man had abandoned him and Nana. 

Protection for his civilian wife and son?

No. This man was living in a delusion. He wanted to believe his family was innocent. That he had a loving and perfect wife who doesn’t mind his absence. That he had a young son who didn’t know the dangers of the world and was a helpless kid. And then...he did something to Tsuna, to his son. He did something in the name of love and protection that made his son’s life a miserable hell.

Perhaps in the man’s eyes that was an acceptable trade off.

Whatever it was, this cost was still smaller than the consequences they would suffer if they didn’t do it. But at least, Tsuna wished the man would explain before he took away Tsuna’s chance to choose.

Even if his fate was going to be cruel, he should at least have the chance to choose which hell he wanted to reside in. 

Iemitsu failed as a father.

He chose his work over his family.

Tsuna wanted to know why.

So he took a few steps towards his father and watched as the man bled. Iemitsu still stood tall and his muscles were tense. He was a true fighter. He was mafia. 

“Why?” Tsuna asked. 

“I’m sorry, son.” Iemitsu casted his eyes away. “But we will talk more after I eliminate the threat to our family. For now, just sleep.”

His father’s fist came in contact with Tsuna’s jaw. It hurt. The impact sent the shocked teen flying and he only stopped when he crashed into stones. He coughed as he felt the air leave his lungs and the shockwave of pain spread through his body, going deep into his bones. 

“Tsuna!”

That might have been Reborn calling his name. Or maybe it was Toji but Tsuna’s spinning head couldn’t tell them apart. He tried to lift a finger, only to find his own flames had died and his body was so stiff. He couldn’t move. His world was turning black.

Gunshots were fired.

Was that Reborn then? Tsuna didn’t see who the hitman had aimed at. Maybe he shot at both of the men in battle but neither side cared. Iemitsu clashed with Toji again. 

This time the blond man had gotten close. His fist came in contact with Toji’s stomach but he also took a hit from the Playful Cloud to the side of his torso. The mafia man coughed out blood as Toji recovered and threw a punch. Iemitsu’s flames flared and he maneuvered into the sky, putting distance between them. Toji only smiled as he propelled himself into the air with Playful Cloud and drove one of its ends into the man’s chest. 

There was a sound of bones cracking.

“Ugh!” Iemitsu’s eyes widened as pain radiated from his chest. Flickering flames licked the cursed tool as they both crashed back to earth. Iemitsu laid on the ground as fire attempted to circle around his injured body. 

“This is goodbye then,” Toji said with a wide grin. He raised his weapon but a smaller hand grabbed his wrist. 

“Toji-san, stop!” Tsuna was standing behind him. Dust and dirt covered his whole body and there wasn’t a glimmer of light inside his eyes. It was already a miracle he was still moving and talking. 

Toji only watched him with pursed lips. “Why?”

“Mom loves him.”

And she would be sad if he was dead. Even if he was never home, her love for him had never waivered. She loved Iemitsu. 

Tsuna couldn’t bear to watch her cry. 

“She doesn’t have to know.”

Yes. Maybe they could lie to her. Say her husband went back to work and it wouldn’t raise any suspicions even if he didn’t come back for a few more years. But Tsuna can’t do that to her.

His father lied. He doesn’t want to keep doing that to her too.

Tsuna didn’t want to turn out like Iemitsu. He doesn’t want to repeat the same mistakes as his father did. 

The man on the ground moved. Toji jerked his body away but something still grazed his neck. A bullet? No. It was a razor blade. 

Blood dripped into his shirt. The cut wasn’t deep but it was still close.

“You mafia sure got a lot of dirty tricks don’t you?” He touched the wound and the red was on his palm. 

“Not as much as you probably.” Iemitsu wheezed and despite his struggles, he still got up. On his feet.

That was when the gunshots sounded again. Toji backed away with Tsuna as something landed between them and Iemitsu. A cloud of smoke expanded and the smell of pepper spray filled the air. 

Toji sneezed while Iemitsu held an elbow over his mouth and his eyes were red. The blond man turned around, only to find a net coming down on his injured form. The next wrapped itself tightly around his body and he went crashing down. He tried to struggle but a shock of electrical currents ran through the net and his body.

There was a muffled groan as he endured the shock. 

“That is enough.” Reborn’s voice boomed through the haze of smoke. “Iemitsu, we have a lot to talk about and you’ve got a lot of explaining to do. So does Nono.”

“Arcobaleno,” Toji spat. “Get in my way and I will kill you too. That man dies tonight.”

“A dead man can’t give you answers.”

“Maybe I don’t plan on getting any.” 

But Toji backed off. Not just because Tsuna didn’t want him to kill iemitsu for Nana’s sake...but also because he knew they did need answers. The seal? That didn’t sound good. 

“I will take Iemitsu from here and we _will_ get answers.” Reborn said as he turned to Toji. “As for you, leave for now.”

“You really think I’m going to leave the brat with that? Under the same roof?” Toji pointed to Iemitsu with his chin. There was annoyance in his voice as he gripped his weapon tight, until the point where his knuckles turned white. 

“He won’t be present at the Sawada house when Tsuna is there during his entire stay in Japan. I will personally make sure of that.” The hitman tilted his hat low. “Also, you’re not exactly my first choice for a parental figure either.”

“At least I haven’t tried to kill Tsuna.”

The blond man on the ground coughed out blood. “I wasn’t trying to kill Tsuna.”

Toji scuffled as he narrowed his eyes. 

“Iemitsu,” Reborn warned coldly. “One more word out of you and Vongola will be needing a new head of CEDEF too.”

That got the man to quiet down as the net around him tightened some more with each of his movements.

Reborn took out his cell phone and he was dialing a few numbers in when he instructed. “Tsuna, you can go home. We can talk about what Iemitsu did and how to deal with the Varia when you feel like you want to talk again.” 

“Reborn,” Tsuna called as he stood still. There was blood going down his split lip and his bones ached. “I don’t really want to go home right now.”

The hitman didn’t object this time. All he did was nod after a long silence. “I will tell Mama you went for a sleepover at a friend’s.”

He sounded reluctant but at least, the hitman lets them go without another word of protest. Reborn merely watched them turn away into the darkness of the woods. 

And Tsuna didn’t look back.

#

It was late when they got back to the Fushiguro’s. Tsuna and Toji took turns for a quick shower and they set to patch themselves up. Today had been too much for Tsuna’s brain. 

First Basil and Squalo then the fight between his dad and Toji...the rings too. Tsuna was sure his head was going to explode if he kept thinking about it. But once those thoughts get pushed out of his mind, something else crept in. 

Tsuna remembered what Toji did in front of Reborn and Iemitsu.

The kiss.

He could still feel the moisture on his lips. How the man’s lips pressed into his and the heat it brought. 

He didn’t know why it bothered him. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen the man kiss others before. He had even walked in on a few heated make out sessions. 

“Your dad really didn’t hold back did he?” Toji’s voice pulled him back to reality. The man’s face was close to Tsuna’s as he checked the wounds on Tsuna’s face. Iemitsu had smashed his fist into Tsuna’s jaw and the teen had crashed into the rocks. Even with the flames, Tsuna didn’t get out completely unscratched. 

Toji’s thumb wiped away the droplet of blood on Tsuna’s lips, which caused the teen to freeze up a little. Not just because of the small tinge of pain from the medicine oil but also because...because it made him _remembered._

But Toji didn’t notice anything. Or maybe he just assumed Tsuna was still in shock about his father. 

“It’s late. Let’s go to bed.” The man yawned and placed an arm around Tsuna’s shoulder to slightly urge him towards the room. 

It was a normal gesture. Toji had done it so many times before but Tsuna suddenly felt that they were too close. The broad chest suddenly felt like a burning metal plate and the arm around him felt too heavy.

And he panicked. 

Quietly, Tsuna slipped out from under Toji’s arm and quickly made his way towards the kids’ room. 

“I’ll be sleeping with Megumi and Tsumiki tonight,” he announced without glancing back. He couldn’t. He was sure his face was as red as a tomato right now. 

“Hey—”

“Good night, Toji-san.” Tsuna closed the door with his eyes shut and ignored the man’s surprised face. When he was sure the door was securely locked, he slid down the door and buried his face in his hands.

“This is stupid...” Tsuna muttered while he tried to make the red on his cheeks go away. Toji-san was just messing with Reborn and his dad. It didn’t mean anything.

_It didn’t mean anything._

“Tsuna.” Tsumiki stood before him with a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

Megumi was sitting on top of his futon [1] too. Both kids weren’t asleep and they were probably listening in. Tsuna wasn’t sure how much they heard but he didn’t want them to worry.

Tsuna got up and held the girl in his arms. He made space for Megumi too when the boy came up to him with a blanket in hand.

“Did Da-da do this to you?” His small hands caressed the bandage on Tsuna’s face lightly, as if he was afraid he would hurt Tsuna. 

“No, of course not.” Tsuna smiled at him. He had gotten bruises after they trained before but this was a different level of damage. He would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt or felt as bad as it looked. If anything, if felt _worst_ than it looked. 

Not just physically. 

It hurt on the inside too because the one that did this was related to him by blood. 

The kids went and moved their futons together, making space for Tsuna to sleep. After they have laid down, with Tsuna in the middle and the kids each at his side, Tsuna starts humming a lullaby. 

Tsumiki fell asleep pretty quickly but even in her sleep, she didn’t let go of Tsuna’s shirt. The teen was tired too. Exhausted from the fights and the emotional rollercoaster he went through today. 

“Tsuna,” Megumi whispered in the dark.

“Yes?”

“Did you like the card?”

“Ah...” Tsuna remembered it. It must have gotten burnt to ashes during the fight. One more reason to despise Iemitsu he guessed. “I do but I’m sorry...I think I lost it.” 

“It’s okay. I will make you another one.”

His words made Tsuna smile. “Thank you, Megumi.” 

The boy called again, “Tsuna.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t leave.”

“I won’t,” Tsuna answered into the boy’s hair as his consciousness slipped away. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Futon = Japanese bedding that they sleep on.


	26. Aftermath - 1

25

One day, Gojo was going to drown Fushiguro Toji into Tokyo Bay after he sealed the man in a block of concrete.

It got a lot easier to find him after Gojo narrowed down the location to Saitama. He found the apartment Toji lived in now. It wasn’t anything fancy. The grey building was moderately new and the neighbours were normal folks. Small families, businesspeople, maybe a pet here and there. The streets were filled with students, people going and coming to work, old grannies gossiping or housewives on their ways to the markets. 

Zenin Toji got married and discarded the cursed surname. He became Fushiguro and so did his son.

Fushiguro Megumi. 

Megumi wasn’t a bad kid. True, he was quiet and didn’t express a lot of emotions. Sometimes, Gojo wondered if there was actually an old man in a child’s body. He was mature for his age. Didn’t cry a lot or whine like the usual brats. Megumi went and came back from daycare alone, kept all his things tidy, and was generally not too much of a pain to deal with. 

Maybe that was the consequence of having shitty parents. You were forced to grow up fast or not at all. 

“Megumi! I came to visit.” Gojo knocked on the Fushiguro’s door. It wasn’t that he had agreed to be Megumi’s tutor. He knew he wouldn’t be a very good one and why waste his energy when he could deal with the cursed spirits alone?

Gojo Satoru was the strongest.

He alone was enough.

But he came to the Fushiguro’s to satisfy his own curiosity. It was the ten shadows. The Zenins hadn’t seen the ten shadows in a long time too.

And Gojo would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t at least a little bit interested.

Megumi opened the door for him and the boy was alone in the apartment. 

Toji wasn’t always home. The man was a free spirit and Gojo wasn’t really interested in what he did during his free time. Also, he _might_ accidentally murder that man if they had to stay in the same space for more than five minutes. 

“Gojo sensei,” Megumi called as he let Gojo in.

“Don’t call me that,” the white haired high schooler said while ruffling the kid’s hair. “I didn’t agree to be your teacher.”

“But Da-da—”

Gojo bent down and smiled. “Your dad is a loser and a bum. Don’t believe a word he says.”

He wasn’t lying. What kind of responsible father leaves his young children at home all alone? Well...maybe not alone. Gojo had met Tsumiki before. A non-jujutsu sorcerer and the daughter of the woman Toji married. But he heard Mrs. Fushiguro left and never came back. 

It was usually just Tsumiki and Megumi at the house. Occasionally they would stay at the neighbour old lady’s and get some meals in exchange for their labour, like putting the dishes away or keeping her company.

But there was someone else living here.

Gojo noticed the manga books and school supplies. Middle school textbooks to be exact. The apartment was also quite well decorated and tidy considering the single dad was rarely home and the kids were so young. From the clean tablecloth and vacuumed floors to the already made food in the fridge, each separated into their colour coded containers...unless the Fushiguros’ got a very diligent house elf, there was definitely someone else living in this house.

He has never been in the master bedroom but sometimes he would find clothing that belonged to a teenager or a tomboyish petite woman drying on the balcony.

Strange.

He had never heard that Mrs. Fushiguro had another child and the old lady next door had no young relatives either. Toji had let the name “Tsuna” slip a few times but he didn’t go into the details. And whenever Gojo asked the kids, all their young minds could come up with was “Tsuna is Tsuna”, or something of that sort.

Maybe it was a woman then. A pitiful soul that had fallen for Toji's good looks. 

“Where did your sister go?” he asked. Gojo didn’t come empty handed. He got a pack of a dozen creme brulee from a pretty reputable cafe and thought he would share it with the siblings. Six for him and three each for the kids. 

“She went with Tsuna to get groceries.”

“Tsuna is here?”

Megumi nodded. “Tsuna is hurt. Da-da brought him back last night.”

_Him?_

Now things were getting interesting. Gojo sat down on the sofa and watched as Megumi practiced summoning his dogs. The kid definitely had talent. He was getting faster at summoning, as if it was becoming a second nature to him. 

The door opened and Gojo heard the sound of footsteps. 

“Megumi, we’re back!” It sounded like Tsumiki. She came in with a plastic bag and she was wearing a light pink skirt. Her hair had been braided too. Whoever did it even put tiny ribbons in it. The girl looked happy. At least, happier than the previous few times Gojo had seen her.

Megumi went to help his sister carry in some bread and Gojo got up to see who else was in the hallway. 

Fire.

Gojo saw fire.

Bright. Orange and warm. It was like he was staring at a hearth during a summery night out in the woods. It felt welcoming. A serene sort of peace that encompassed his whole being and made him relaxed. 

Before Gojo, stood a teen a few years younger than him. The kid was in a blue hoodie and dark jeans. He had a small and slim build compared to the white haired teen and his hair was a brown color. He had a few bandages over his neck and face. The injuries looked recent. 

His eyes though, to Gojo, they looked brown yet there was a hue of orange underneath. 

The fire.

The flames were inviting people close. And those foolish enough to try and take it as their own would be disintegrated. 

“You must be Gojo-san.” The teen greeted him with a soft smile politely. He didn’t feel like someone that would be involved with the notorious Sorcerer Killer. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” 

“Is that so? Are you Tsuna then?” Gojo cracked a smile as he pushed his shades up. The flames were nice but it didn't do too well with his eyes.

Too bright.

Too warm.

It was the complete opposite of curses.

He thinks he found the reason why the Fushiguro siblings were still healthy and alive.

“I’m Sawada Tsunayoshi but yeah, you can call me Tsuna if you want.” Tsunayoshi set down the bag of groceries on the kitchen counter. “Would you like to stay for dinner, Gojo-san?”

He was already putting on the apron when he asked that. The kids went to help place the ingredients out on the table. Megumi opened the bag of vegetables and Tsumiki turned on the water.

It was strange. The teen had just invited a possible enemy to dinner but being polite was never a concept in Gojo's dictionary and he wasn’t worried about being poisoned when the cooking was being done right before his eyes.

“Sure, thanks for inviting me.” Gojo leaned against the kitchen’s door as he watched the three get to work. Tsuna worked quickly but he kept an eye on the kids too. Tsumiki and Megumi set away the things they don’t need into the cabinets and fridge. They would help pass the seasoning, whisk the eggs, or taste test for Tsunayoshi. 

It felt like he had walked into a scene out of a domestic drama. 

There was the wife and the kids. The smell of food being prepared and laughter.

Gojo came from a pretty old and rich family. They weren’t one of the elite three for nothing. Servants prepared his meals and he had never set foot in the kitchen at his place other than to bug the chefs about what he wanted for dessert.

True, the food Tsuna was preparing now probably can’t compete with the professional chefs at Gojo’s place. But he guessed this wasn’t bad either. 

Megumi seemed to smile more. 

Gojo went over and grabbed a pack of dried seaweed off the high shelf when he saw Tsuna having trouble reaching it. “So what’s your relationship to the Fushiguros?” 

“I’m a friend of Toji-san’s.”

Friends?

That man?

And this teen?

Gojo thinks it might be easier to believe Getou and Shouko were dating. 

His expression might have been too obvious because Tsunayoshi patted him on the arm and laughed. “Yes. Toji-san is a good friend of mine. He’s not such a bad person if you get to know him.”

Gojo shuddered in disgust just imagining spending quality time with Toji. A heart to heart? With that man?

 _Over my dead body._

“Gojo-san?”

“I’m debating if I need to call the cops on that bum.” Gojo went to sit down by the dinning table. He could still see the kitchen from there. “Tsunayoshi, blink twice if you’re being held here against your will. I’ll bust you and the kids out.”

It wasn’t fully just a joke. Although he could tell the brown haired teen was here out of his own free will, he didn’t think it would hurt to suggest the possibility. 

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Tsuna shook his head at him with a small chuckle. “Do you prefer your curry sweet or spicy?”

“Sweet,” Gojo answered and he let the topic drop. There were far weirder things in the jujutsu world. Besides, sorcerers die all the time. Who cares who you were friends with so long as you both live through a mission?

Also, he noticed that Tsuna didn’t have any cursed energy. Just like Toji.

But the teen didn’t have a heavenly restriction either.

_Fascinating._

No cursed energy? Did that mean he didn’t have any negative emotions? Did he never curse this blasted world? No, that can’t be it. So where did all that energy go?

Gojo decided that he liked Tsunayoshi. The younger teen has a good heart and he liked the fire. Also, it would probably piss off Toji if he became closer with Tsunayoshi. Now that would be a nice bonus. 

The food was decent. Home made and normal.

Toji still hasn't come back and neither the Fushiguro kids or Tsunayoshi spoke of the man. Gojo devoured all six of his creme brulee. Megumi and Tsumiki each gave Tsuna one of theirs though.

_They really do love him._

They didn’t save any for Toji.

The kids went to do their homework in their room. Tsunayoshi made tea for Gojo and they sat across from each other at the dining table.

“I’m going to be frank. Can you see cursed spirits?” Gojo took off his shades and studied the teen. His eyes must have gotten used to the fire now. It was beautiful. Although still fragile, the flames and embers burning within this kid was an astonishing sight to behold. 

“I can.”

“But you don’t have any cursed energy.”

“I don’t.”

“How?”

“I don’t know.” Tsunayoshi shook his head. “Toji-san said it might be because I have been too close to death for too many times.”

Gojo mentioned for him to go on with a curioused look.

Tsunayoshi scratched his head with a slightly forced smile. “I...I haven’t been fully myself. When I was younger I used to get into all sorts of accidents and unfortunate things. Too many trips to the hospital...to the point where nearly all the staff knew me on a first name basis.”

“Those scars then...” Gojo pointed to the bandages.

“Um, no.” Tsunayoshi’s face went blank and there was a slight shade of shadow casted over his features. “This was my dad. We had a clash of belief.”

_“Tsuna is hurt. Da-da brought him back last night.”_

That was what Megumi had said. So the teen must be at the Fushiguro’s to seek refuge then. Gojo didn’t really know what that would feel like. With his powers, he could easily tell the adults in his family to fuck off. He never had a care for authority before so he doesn’t really know what it would feel like to need to flee. From anything really. 

So Gojo didn’t know what to say other than— “Well, that sucks.”

“Yeah, it sucked,” Tsuna agreed into his tea. “But enough about me. Gojo-san, are you here to teach Megumi jujutsu?”

Gojo shook his head. 

“I don’t plan to be Megumi’s teacher. I won’t be a very good one anyways.” That was true. Gojo didn’t know how to teach something that came as naturally as breathing to him. “Also, I kind of despise that idiot. He did crush my throat and nearly send me to meet my ancestors a little too early.”

Tsunayoshi sighed but he didn’t look displeased. “Thought so. Thank you for dropping by. I know you’ve been coming around to keep Megumi and Tsumiki company. Even if they don’t show it openly, they do like you.”

This was new. He didn’t think it would be so easy. Gojo was expecting a few disappointed looks at the minimum. “That’s it? You’re not planning to persuade me or guilt trip me?” 

The brown haired teen laughed. “This isn’t your problem from the start. You don’t have to worry about Toji-san, I’ll talk to him later.”

Now Gojo was sure. This kid would make a terrible jujutsu sorcerer. His heart was too soft and his soul too pure. 

“So what is that man planning with Megumi then? Still going to sell him to the Zenins when he gets a bit older?” Gojo rubbed his fingers together to symbolize money. He didn’t mind if the Zenins got another talented sorcerer on their side. But the kids will surely suffer if they go with them. 

“No,” Tsunayoshi said firmly. “That’s not going to happen under my watch. I made a promise.”

“Then you plan to hide the kid from them forever? It will probably be hard at the rate the kid is growing.”

Megumi has talent. He has the gift.

And the Zenins were going to be desperate for an heir if the twin girls turned up with nothing.

Tsunayoshi stayed silent for a while. He knew it too. Gojo waited as he threw more sugar cubes into his tea and watched the white crystals melt. When the teen across from him finally looked up, he looked like he had made some sort of heavy decision. 

“Gojo-san.” Tsuanyoshi’s voice was flat. “Do you know about the Vongola?”

“Clams [1]?” No. Vongola? Gojo leaned back in his seat and dug through his memory. “I think the old geezers said something about it before. Mafia was it? They are a big shot in the non-jujutsu world and apparently they’ve got some weird powers too. I haven’t seen it in person before.”

It didn’t matter either. He would still be the strongest. 

“I see...”

“Why do you ask?” 

Tsunayoshi’s eyes were glowing orange. His smile was just as bright though. Like fire. The teen opened his mouth and asked, “As a part of the elite three clans, do you think Vongola’s name will be enough to make the Zenins back off?”

And Gojo saw it. He saw the same madness that drove jujutsu sorcerers. In this teen. In this boy that had absolutely no cursed energy, there was that insanity that would make a formidable enemy.

A promise was a bond.

A bond was a curse.

Sawada Tsunayoshi had bound himself.

It was ludicrous. To take on a whole clan of jujutsu sorcers with just a heart of gold and a childish promise. Yet Gojo could see the embers burning within the teen before him.

He was serious.

Gojo takes his words back. Sawada Tsunayoshi would make a great jujutsu sorcerer if he had cursed energy. He had courage. He was insane enough to think he could take charge of two immense darkness at once. The mafia and the rotten higher ups of the jujutsu world?

Now that was a show Gojo would pay good money to watch.

“Yeah,” Gojo heard himself saying and the wild grin on his face was unmistakable. “It would definitely make them think twice.”

The teen before him was shorter and much more slender. His features were soft and the air around him didn’t exactly elicited threat or danger.

He wouldn’t do well in that violent world of the mafia. 

But Gojo knew otherwise. His six eyes saw it all.

“Good to know.” Tsunayoshi picked up the teapot and he smiled. It was the same gentle smile he had used to greet Gojo when they first met. Unsuspecting. Innocent. “More tea, Gojo-san?”

Gojo pushed his cup closer. “Don’t mind if I do.”

 _Yes,_ he thought. He could definitely see this as the start to a beautiful friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Vongola = Clams
> 
> In case people forgot: 
> 
> \- Getou is Gojo's best friend. The curse manipulator that Toji nearly killed earlier in this story.  
> \- Shouko is Getou and Gojo's classmate. She can use the reverse technique on others (AKA healer basically).


	27. Aftermath - 2

26

When Tsuna woke up, Toji had already left the house. To a point, it kind of made him feel better. He still didn’t know how to face the man properly. 

Tsuna went about his day with the kid. No mafia. No absent father. No cursed spirits. Just a normal life of finishing some homework, video games, house chores, and running a few errands.

Meeting Gojo Satoru was a surprise but he liked the white haired teen with blue eyes. Gojo had a really pretty and dazzling face. He was also a confident one, which might be because he was born from a pretty prestigious family and he _was_ the strongest jujutsu sorcerer of the century after all. He was cocky and talked colloquially without a shred of respect for rules or traditions.

Megumi and Tsumiki talked about him sometimes. “A weirdo.” That was what Megumi had called Gojo but Tsuna could tell the boy didn’t dislike the genius jujutsu sorcerer either. 

He would have made a great teacher for Megumi.

But Tsuna guessed it couldn’t be helped. He wouldn’t push someone into a role that they don’t want. He wasn’t going to be like his father or Reborn. It wasn’t Gojo’s problem to begin with anyways. 

"So what is that man planning with Megumi then? Still going to sell him to the Zenins when he gets a bit older?" Gojo asked. There wasn’t much concern in his voice but that made sense. Despite the friendly demeanors, they were practically strangers at this point.

“No,” Tsuna replied as his mind raced. He told Megumi he wasn’t going to leave, that meant he wouldn’t give the boy away either. “That’s not going to happen under my watch. I made a promise.”

“Then you plan to hide the kid from them forever? It will probably be hard at the rate the kid is growing.”

Tsuna fell silent. He knew that. The best option would be to trick the head of the Zenin clan into a binding, a bond of some sort that would make sure they never come after Megumi. But they would be risking the chance of exposing the boy’s existence to them and that would put them at a disadvantage.

If Gojo had been Megumi’s teacher, the struggle would be between the Gojo and the Zenin families. The Zenins won’t dare to do anything bold in fear of tipping that power balance between the elite three. 

_But now…_

“Gojo-san.” Tsuna decided maybe they still have another way depending on Gojo’s answer. “Do you know about the Vongola?”

“Clams?” Gojo sounded confused but then he must have remembered something. His striking blue gaze landed on Tsuna. “I think the old geezers said something about it before. Mafia was it? They are a big shot in the non-jujutsu world and apparently they’ve got some weird powers too. I haven’t seen it in person before.”

“I see...” 

“Why do you ask?” 

Tsuna smiled at the young jujutsu sorcerer. “As a part of the elite three clans, do you think Vongola’s name will be enough to make the Zenins back off?”

Silence fell upon them.

“Yeah,” Gojo answered and there was a grin on his face. He looked like he would enjoy the chaos. “It would definitely make them think twice.”

That was all Tsuna needed. They still have hope. He offered Gojo more tea and watched as the other teen threw a number of sugar cubes into it. He must have a real sweet tooth considering he already finished six creme brulees. The kids came out, showing Tsuna they had finished their homework.

“Megumi and Tsumiki sure work hard.” Gojo laughed when he saw the streak of little golden stars given to good students in their homework books. He tried to pat the boy on the head but Megumi dodged it and went beside Tsuna. 

The front door opened at that moment and they heard light footsteps coming close. 

Toji stood at the entrance to the living room with a backpack slung across his shoulder but he didn’t look surprised that a jujutsu sorcerer had invaded his home. He must have noticed the extra pair of shoes and heard Gojo’s voice before he even came in the door.

He just looked disgusted. Like he had just come home to a pile of cockroaches infesting his fridge. 

“Sup, old man?” Gojo greeted with a grin as he waved at the man that just came in. And by wave, Tsuna meant the white haired teen gave Toji the finger. 

Tsuna also smiled. He was kind of glad Gojo was here, it made interacting with Toji normally easier. “Welcome back, Toji-san.”

The man came closer and the frown on his face never lifted. "What are you doing here so late? Aren’t there rules about leaving school grounds with Jujutsu High?"

The schools for sorcerers were like boarding schools. The students all live in dorms and they would have to get permission to leave school grounds normally.

“Do I look like I care about those rules?” Gojo stuck out his tongue as he put his sunglasses back on. “Besides, you jackass left your kids alone at home. And you want to lecture me on safety? Even if Tsunayoshi is here, you’re still a shitty dad.”

Toji narrowed his eyes at the white haired teen. “Tsunayoshi?”

“That’s right. I think we are hitting it off pretty well.” The jujutsu sorcerer mused as he studied Toji’s expression from underneath his shades. “Isn’t that right, Tsunayoshi?”

His voice was overly sweet and he dragged out the syllables of Tsuna’s name slowly as he rolled them on his tongue. 

“Gojo-san and I are getting along great.” Tsuna coughed and hid his laughter behind his tea. Any other time he might chide Gojo for having a mouth with no filters around the kids but right now? He can’t say he minded it.

“See,” Gojo taunted. “We are going to be besties!” 

Toji lifted a threatening grin. “I killed you once. I can do it again.”

The teen stood up and his smile was wide too. “I’m ready for round two when you are.”

“Tsuna...” Megumi tugged on the teen’s shirt and Tsuna leaned down. The boy went on his tiptoes to whisper beside Tsuna’s ears, “Should I stop them?”

He had already dragged the confused Tsumiki behind him and the boy was nervously eyeing the furniture inside their house with worry. They wouldn’t stand a chance if the two older males decided to fight. 

“Thank you but no. Whity and blacky would get hurt.” Tsuna ruffled his hair and walked over to Toji. He placed a hand on the man’s chest to prevent him from attacking as he turned to Gojo. 

“Gojo-san, thanks for dropping by.” Tsuna smiled. “It was nice talking to you. Please feel free to come again whenever you wish.” 

The jujutsu sorcerer pushed his shades up higher on the bridge of his nose. “I will bring cake over next time.”

He didn’t say who it was for. Tsuna had a feeling he could finish the whole cake by himself.

“We look forward to it,” the brown haired teen said before Toji could open his mouth and spew some insults. 

Gojo left with a smirk on his face. When the door closed, it was just Tsuna and the Fushiguros again. Tsumiki came up to her stepfather with a sort of timid grin. 

“Daddy,” she called. “Look! Tsuna did my hair today.”

“Looks good on you,” Toji complimented and it made the little girl smile. He was always a sweet talker when it comes to the ladies. Besides his face, that was why they loved him so much. 

And now that Gojo was gone, Tsuna’s heart wasn’t going at the right pace anymore. He decided he could escape to the washroom. “Megumi, let’s go take a shower—”

But Tsuna was cut off when Toji hauled him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Toji-san!” 

"Tsuna and I need to talk. Go play on your own for now," Toji instructed the kids as he took large strides towards the master bedroom. Megumi looked like he wanted to say something but Tsumiki held her hand over his mouth. 

"Is that fine?" Megumi asked his sister.

Tsumiki nodded. “It’s Tsuna. Daddy won’t hurt Tsuna.”

The little boy stared at his sister’s serious face and glanced back to the shut bedroom door. Finally, he nodded too. “Okay.”

#

Tsuna got dropped onto the bed.

He scrambled upright and saw the man staring down at him with an expressionless face. 

“If this is about Vongola or my dad—” Tsuna started but Toji cooped his chin with one hand. 

“That isn’t important right now,” he said and his green eyes stared right into the teen’s. “You’ve been avoiding me since last night.”

“I’m not avoiding you.” 

It came out too dry, Not even the dumbest of planktons would believe him. 

“You’re a horrible liar.”

Tsuna went quiet. He didn’t know what he could say. He knew that faking everything was alright won’t work very well against Toji. The man knew him too well and was a sharp observer. 

The teen wanted to hide but there was nowhere for him to run to. He wouldn’t make it to the door with Toji blocking his path. So he grabbed a pillow and held it as if that would help block Toji’s piercing stare. The man had let go and he crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for a reply. 

“...It’s the kiss,” Tsuna muttered under his breath as he hid his burning face into the pillow. 

“What about it?”

What about it? Tsuna wanted to say everything about it felt weird. It was messing with his head every time he closed his eyes. The memory comes back and he could feel the tingling sensation on his lips. How the man had closed in and sealed the gap...what about it? Tsuna doesn’t even know himself.

He felt an odd sense of sadness but his head was a mess. So he casted his head low and refused to look at the man before him and decided what he can’t see won’t bother him. “It’s nothing. Have you had dinner yet? There’s still some curry left.” 

“Tsuna,” Toji said as he pried the pillow out of the teen’s hand. “...You don’t dislike it don’t you?”

The man was down on one knee. When Tsuna opened his eyes, he found his own reflection in those emerald ponds. He stared at the face that he had known since he was five. This was Toji. His best friend. His family. 

“...I’m not sure.” Tsuna placed a hand on Toji’s face. Time slipped by fast. His hands were no longer short and stubby and Toji’s face wasn’t the same as the one in his memory either. The scar. The shadows beneath those green eyes. 

They have both seen too much blood. 

Toji wrapped his hand on Tsuna’s.

“Why did you do it, Toji-san?”

“I don’t know,” Toji replied heavily. There was something else in his voice, a sort of confusion as he thought back on his actions. “It just felt like the natural thing to do I guess. I didn’t hate it though.” 

“I’m not Yuu or Mrs. Fushiguro.”

Toji’s grip around Tsuna’s wrist tightened. “I know that.”

“Then why?”

“I’m not sure either. I told you, it just felt right.” There was a faint coat of pink on Toji’s ears. “Look, just...don’t avoid me for now okay? It’s not like us to do so.”

Tsuna thought for a moment. True. They have had shouting matches and Tsuna might have hit the man with whatever he was holding at the time a few times...but they never had a cold war or gave each other the silent treatment. 

“Toji-san,” he called softly. “What am I to you?”

Toji looked into the teen’s eyes as he answered firmly, “You’re Tsuna.”

And Tsuna understood. 

Maybe they didn’t know what exactly they were right now. Family? Friends? Lovers? But that didn’t matter. All he needed to know was that Toji was still Toji. The teenager that had fumbled and cursed all the way while he kept Tsuna alive, the man that was willing to fight the mafia so Tsuna didn’t have to carry the burden of the crown...he never changed. 

Tsuna smiled at him. He pushed himself off the bed and fell into the man’s embrace. His arms wrapped around Toji’s neck as they fell back on the ground. 

“You’re such a sappy idiot,” Toji complained but he didn’t resist. 

“Shut up.”

“Are we good then?”

“Yes,” Tsuna laughed. “We are.”

“Good, cause I got something else to tell you.” The man mentioned for him to get off. “I got the Vongola problem covered already.”

Toji emptied the contents of his backpack out on the bed. There were passports and IDs, along with new credit cards and a few bundles of cash. There was also a wig and some makeup. 

Tsuna picked a passport up and he realized they were fake. It was really well made. No one would suspect a thing even if they took a magnifying glass to it. 

_Suzuki Akira._

The picture that went with the name was Toji’s but not really his either. The scar was gone and his hair was parted neatly to the side. Almost like what you would see on five out of ten of the men on the streets.

There was no sorcerer killer, only a regular businessman. 

“There’s more money in a few different offshore accounts.” Toji sat down at the foot of the bed. "It should be enough for us to disappear."

"Disappear?"

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to go well with Vongola and killing them all isn’t realistic so we vanish. Go somewhere else and start fresh. If they can’t find you they can’t force you to be the next boss.”

“What about Megumi and Tsumiki?”

Toji picked out two of the passports and threw them to Tsuna. “They’re coming of course.”

In his confusion, Tsuna opened the passports and found pictures of Megumi and Tsumiki in them.

Suzuki Megumi.

Suzuki Tsumiki.

“You told the kid you won’t leave right? So they’re coming too.” Toji laid down as he extended his arms out on the bed. "It might even be a better disguise. Those Italians won’t be paying people with kids too much attention. A little makeup plus a change of cloth and you’d be unrecognizable too."

Tsuna opened the last passport. It showed the picture of a woman and her age was listed as eighteen. Old enough to be married and out of school. She had his face...but it wasn’t him either. Her brown hair was long while there was a mole under her right eye. 

It said her name was Suzuki Tsukiko.

This was what Toji had disappeared for during the day. 

They had new identities and money. They could get their hands on plane tickets within minutes online too. Everything was prepared. A new life was waiting, one that didn’t involve the mafia. 

All Tsuna had to do was say yes. 

“Your father’s hurt. The baby hitman is busy with the Varia and dealing with your father, maybe even the current boss too. No one would notice if we disappear right now.”

Tsuna knew that was true. They could be long gone before anyone realized it. 

_But…_

“No. Not now,” he said. 

Toji turned his head towards him. “Why not?”

“There is still something I need to do first.” Tsuna kept his gaze on the passports in his hands. “I have to say goodbye to my mom and we also have to solve Megumi’s problem.”

“Megumi?” There was distaste in his voice as Toji sat up. “Fuck, what did you and that Gojo’s boy talked about when I was gone?”

“Gojo-san doesn’t want to be Megumi’s teacher. Megumi would still be in danger if the Zenins decided to come after him.”

“So what?”

“So we do a trade off.” Tsuna nodded to himself. It was going to work. “If the Varia are coming for the rings then they must have someone they want on the throne. My dad said something about Xanxus...I think? I will give him the rings willingly but in exchange he has to use the Vongola name to give Megumi protection from the Zenins should they ever find out about him. It would be better if we can put the Zenins into a binding agreement but if that doesn’t work out, they still can’t touch Megumi because of Vongola.”

The man understood immediately. He knew what was going on, what Tsuna was planning. “What about you? They probably won’t give up on you so easily, especially your father.”

“I disappear. Xanxus is the only heir left.”

“Your dad and Reborn are absolutely going to be pissed.” Toji scratched his head. “Who knows, they might even put out a hit on my head while they try to keep that other guy out of power.”

“Maybe,” Tsuna mumbled his response. There was no guarantee Xanxus would be accepted into the position even if he had the rings. Not when the current head wasn’t dead yet. And Tsuna was throwing away everything he knew. Namimori, his studies, and the people he cherished. He knew this was a hard choice but it was the best solution he could come up with. No more mafia. His friends and his mom won’t get dragged into another mess again. 

He didn’t know what the future held. Maybe they would get caught, maybe they would have to be on the run for years before Xanxus took full control of Vongola. But it was worth a shot. Tsuna didn’t want to be anybody’s puppet anymore.

They would bring the kids to somewhere far from the world of jujutsu too. No more violence. No more curses. 

No more blood. 

_But before then..._

The teen extended a hand towards Toji and he smiled. “Toji-san, will you come with me to start a war?”

The man grinned. He grabbed Tsuna’s hand and placed it by his lips before planting a chaste kiss on it. 

“Gladly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not great at writing romance LOL. 
> 
> But they finally talked about it so yay I'm done that part. 
> 
> Reborn's pieces are coming next and I will be making some changes to the guardians. But I can't spoil it now because there will be a more detailed explanation in the notes about why I made those choices when the time comes.


	28. Aftermath - 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to do something slightly different with the points of views for the first part...because I don't think Reborn's alone can convey what I want to write.

27

The story was simple and the motive was pure.

Pure idiocy to be exact. 

Iemitsu came back to the Sawada house on vacation when Tsuna was still young. Nono came with him, for some business and a bit of a quiet time. It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation for both men. Timoteo would get to be a regular old man and Iemitsu could enjoy family time. And that was how things started. Nana had welcomed them with large smiles and there was laughter in the house. 

Young Tsunayoshi was a good boy. Although not a genius, he was a bright and active child that was just a little bit on the shy side. 

But then they found out about his flames.

Iemitsu had never seen a fire so bright. It was as if he was staring right into the sun, it burned. He doesn’t really remember what he felt exactly during that moment of discovery. Concern? Yes, that was what had taken over his mind.

He was worried. He felt fear for his son’s life. 

Iemitsu had stayed away from his family in order to protect them. He kept communication to a minimum in fear that they might be tapped. The less people that knew of Nana and Tsunayoshi the safer they would be. And he kept the blood and violence away from them too. He swept all the dirty secrets and his weapons under the rug so Nana wouldn’t worry about her husband coming back with holes in his body.

But then his son had _talent_. Tsuna had potential. He was a sky and a powerful one. Iemitsu could think of so many people that would want to get their hands on a sky. His enemies, Vongola’s enemies, even those within Vongola itself...Tsuna’s existence would cause those rats in the shadows to stirr. Timoteo was getting old and people lost their fear for aging kings. 

Vongola needed a Tenth.

People want power.

What could be better than a puppet on the throne?

So he asked Timoteo to seal Tsuna. His son would have a life under the sun, under the light. Iemitsu wanted a different life for his child. 

Tsuna would never fall into the hands of those monsters.

“Are you sure, Iemitsu?” Timoteo had asked as he watched the boy play in the park while he and Iemitsu stood under the tree. The old man had a solemn look as the shadows casted over his features.

“Yes, I am sure.”

The sealing was done in secret. Away from Nana’s view and the boy fell asleep in Iemitsu’s arms. He was curled up in a ball, as if he was cold and Iemitsu could only wrap his child in layers of blankets as he repeatedly whispered, “It’s okay. Daddy is here.”

_It’s okay._

_Daddy is here._

But life was never a smooth sailing ship from start to finish. He left with Timoteo the next morning back to Italy to deal with some trouble. He thought he would return soon, yet that chance never came. People believed Timoteo was getting softer as his health declined. Enrico and his brothers didn’t necessarily get along either.

There was only one crown.

And there were three heirs.

Then Xanxus happened. He found out a secret Timoteo had intended to take to his grave and the head of Varia lashed out. The family was badly torn. The bodies accumulated at Iemitsu’s feet as the red stained his hands. He left a trail of skeletons and hatred that would put the worst of serial killers to shame. 

Iemitsu still talked with Nana sometimes over the phone. Their conversations were short but sweet. He would hear stories of how clumsy his son was. How his grades weren’t stellar but Iemitsu was thankful that at least his Tsuna was alive. He had normal troubles, concerns with school and fitting in. 

He was living under the light.

“You didn’t know what the sealing would do yet you still did it?” Reborn removed the gun he had pointed at Iemitsu’s head. 

They were in Vongola’s private hospital. Iemitsu was lying on the hospital bed with bandages over his chest and tubes feeding medicine into his bloodstream. The Heavenly Tyrant had cracked his sternum and fractured a few other bones. There were also some other knife wounds and bruises from that weird three sectioned staff. It felt like he had been hit by a bus or a truck. 

“It was for the best.”

“For the best?” The hitman laughed coldly. “Look at how that turned out. How convenient it was too. If you sealed Tsuna, he won’t have to get involved with the mafia and it would prove to Nono you have no intention of taking over the family or gaining more power wouldn’t it? Your bloodline was the first’s, no one would object if Tsuna inherits. Not if they knew he was a sky.”

Iemitsu’s face twisted but he didn’t get a chance to speak. The wounds on his chest hurt and made breathing difficult. 

“If Tsuna had grown up in the family, how many would try to push for him to be heir even with Enrico still alive? Nono wouldn’t like that would he?” 

It was lonely at the top. And there was too much suspicion and distrust as the one in power gets older. History had taught them all that much. Monarchies had fallen for less before. So Iemitsu sealed his son to prove his own loyalty. To show they have no intention on taking back what Primo started.

Iemitsu coughed but he found his voice again. “Tsuna didn’t need to take on the burden.”

“You didn’t know about the Heavenly Tyrant. A _murderer_ with too many swords and dirty ties had waltzed into your son’s life and took over but you noticed nothing.” That was the part Reborn didn’t understand. How could Iemitsu let this happen? How could Vongola fail so badly?

“They never saw him near Tsuna. They said Tsuna was alone most of the time. He spent his time in the woods behind the elementary school.” Iemitsu thought that was alright. It just meant his Tsuna wasn’t very social. It was fine for boys to like playing in nature any ways.

“And you never questioned it.” 

The man fell silent. He never did and he can’t argue with that.

And Reborn understood. For men like them, for those that lived in the shady world where everyday was to live or to die...a child facing off bullies or playing in the woods was nothing. Loners? Mafia children were taught to put on a show and played behind a mask. Playground bullies threatening you to hand over your lunch? It was less than child’s play in a school where the majority of the students and staff carried guns. That included the kindergarteners.

This was their world.

And they got so accustomed to it that they lost touch with how the other side of the world functioned. They forgot what bullies and rejection can do to a child.

Hardships and adversities don’t always forge heroes. More often than not, they break them.

“Why did you nominate Tsuna?” he asked the man that had desperately tried to keep his son away from the pain and sorrow. 

“...We were left with no choice.” Iemitsu felt a chill running through his limbs. It wasn’t because of the blood loss. Instead, now that he was being forced to face what he had done, he could no longer lie and deceive himself by painting all those rosy illusions. He thought he was making his son into a man. 

He thought the baby bird was leaving the nest and he would fly even higher than his father did.

In reality, Iemitsu merely chose the prosperity of Vongola over Tsuna. It was as simple as that. 

“Where did Tsuna go?” 

“He went with the Heavenly Tyrant.” Honestly, Reborn didn’t think Tsuna was ever going to come back. He didn’t expect it when he watched his student leave with Toji last night.

But Reborn didn’t stop them. Maybe he was getting soft too. He could have tried to kill Toji then and force Tsuna to stay. They could do things...therapy and a little twinkle of the mind will give them back a blank state of a boy that could be made into a great heir. But he didn’t move.

Because what Vongola had done was wrong. What Iemitsu had done was wrong. Worst of all, Reborn had been wrong.

He came in with the thought of a target to take down and nothing else. He thought he would be dealing with a slightly worse version of Dino, a floating mess that just needed to be whipped into shape and provided a purpose, but he was wrong. Tsuna knew what he wanted. He was human with flesh and tears. He had his own wants and needs. His own desires and dreams that he wouldn’t trade for the world. 

Reborn could push the boy onto the throne but they would only be watching the empire burn. 

“Iemitsu,” Reborn said as he took out a laptop. “We need to speak with Timoteo.”

The man on the hospital bed lifted a finger and typed in a code. They waited for a few minutes then the computer screen went black before the image of an old man came into view. 

Timoteo hadn’t aged well. His hair had gone fully white and so had his beard. But he still had that air around him. He was Vongola Nono and he lived up to that title as if it was integrated in his bones. His suit was ironed and his hair was well groomed. 

“Old friend...” Timoteo started to greet them but Reborn stopped him. Uncharacteristic and impolitely so but the hitman had to do it. 

“We have a problem.”

He went on to explain the situation and how Tsuna’s heart didn’t belong to Vongola. Reborn talked of the Heavenly Tyrant and the teen’s attachment to the one person in his life that had acknowledged him...if Reborn could even put it like that. Didn’t matter if it was an act or not, the fact was that Toji was there when Iemitsu wasn’t, when Nana wasn’t.

He was the only one there when the teen had no one.

He was Tsuna’s lifeline. 

“That is...” Timoteo sounded like he was uncertain about how he should phrase his words. “Troubling news indeed.”

“You never said Tsuna was sealed.” Reborn thought the kid had been dormant. Inactive but never sealed. 

“A horrible choice that I regretted.” He sounded sincere but Reborn knew to never trust the tears of a mafia man. Their actions and their thoughts weren’t always in line. Timoteo landed his gaze on Iemitsu’s injured form. “That man, the one you said had taken Tsunayoshi...he broke the seal?”

“Yes.”

“And he is powerful?”

“Yes.”

“Then here is my decision, Iemitsu and Reborn.” Timoteo’s voice was stern. “You are to locate Sawada Tsunayoshi and train the child in case Xanxus and Varia decide to strike. As for the one you call the Heavenly Tyrant, those that will be a threat to Vongola shall be eliminated.”

_No._

Reborn wasn’t going to do that.

“You’re making a grave mistake.”

“It is a tough choice and I wish there was some other way,” Timoteo only said, “ but Vongola needs an heir.”

Vongola needs an heir.

So it was okay to let one child fall into hell.

Because one person’s despair cannot compare to the blood that will be shed during the fall of a family.

“You had five,” Reborn answered in a low voice. “And you lost them all.”

The old man’s lips twitched and there was a slight static noise from the other side. Timoteo raised his hand as if signalling for whoever else was in the room with him to stop. Must be one of his guardians.

“Your answer, Iemitsu?”

The man on the bed was silent. The lines of his jaw were hard and his muscles tensed but eventually, he nodded. “As you wish.”

Iemitsu loved his son.

But see, a mafia’s actions and their thoughts weren’t always in line with each other.

Iemitsu was a mafia through and through.

And the mafia always chooses to honor the family above all.

#

Tsuna stood before his house with Toji beside him. 

“Go on then,” the man said as he leaned against the fence. He wasn’t going in because this first part was something Tsuna had to do alone. 

Tsuna opened the door and he was met with his mother’s smile. It was the same smile he had seen for the past fourteen years of his life. It was warm but that was it. Tsuna had no doubt Nana loved him but her head wasn’t always here. She was living in that delusion of a picture perfect family she weaved for herself. 

“Tsu-kun,” she called. “Welcome back. Did you have fun at your friend’s?”

“Yes.” Tsuna smiled at her. 

He guessed he shouldn’t be asking for more. No one was perfect and Nana already gave him more than what many could. She kept him fed, made sure he had a clean house to return to, and mended all his clothing. She tried. She had never once got upset with all his faults and problems. 

He was disappointed, yes. He was disappointed that Nana didn’t see how badly he was hurt. How he came back with bruises and scars...both physically and mentally but he still loved her. This was his mother, the one that had nursed and nurtured him all alone.

He didn't resent her. In fact, he wanted to keep that smile on her face for as long as he could. 

“Reborn said Daddy is going to visit an old friend in the next town so he won’t be back for a few days. I am going to make dinner,” she said to him as they turned into the kitchen. “Is there something specific you would like?”

“No, I’m going out with my friend for the night.” Tsuna shook his head but he helped her get all the ingredients out of the fridge and set the rice to cook. 

“Is that so? Well, have fun and don’t get hurt!” Nana looked happy that her son was having so much fun with his friends. But she never asked where he was going or who he was going with.

Tsuna smiled as he hugged her. 

“Thanks Mama.” It was kind of nostalgic. He hadn’t used that term in a while. “I love you.”

He let go and turned to head out the door but a force stopped him. 

“Tsu-kun?” Nana had grabbed his wrist in a hurry. She dropped her spatula in the process. It surprised both of them. Nana’s usual smile was gone and there was a faint frown in her eyebrows.

They stayed like that in silence until the timer on the rice cooker went off. It clicked and there was a soft beeping noise that filled the space.

“...Mom?”

That seemed to have woken the woman up from whatever spell she was under. She picked up the cooking tool and she grinned. “Oh my! I don’t know what came over me. Have fun, Tsu-kun and I will make all your favorite things when you come home.”

Tsuna held her hand in his as he answered, “Thank you. I will keep that in mind.”

He walked into the hallway while taking one last glance at the woman humming softly to herself in the kitchen.

“Tsuna-Nii,” Fuuta was sitting at the bottom stairs. “You’re okay.”

He probably heard Iemitsu and Toji fighting yesterday. Fuuta didn’t have a smile on his face as he stared up at Tsuna. 

He was worried. 

“Fuuta,” Tsuna leaned down so he was facing the boy properly. 

“I did a ranking.” Fuuta watched him with struggle in his eyes. His words were mumbled and it sounded like he was going to cry. “And Toji-san ranked number one in the people that will make you happy.”

“He does make me happy.”

The boy chewed on his lips. “And we can’t?”

“You are important to me too. You, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto-kun, Lambo, I-pin...all of you. This life isn’t for them. Yamamoto-kun is going to be a great baseball star, Ryohei boxes like no other I have seen before, Gokudera-kun is smart enough that he can probably choose any university in the world...and you, Fuuta, you have a gift and the time to find a life you want.” Tsuna sat down next to him and placed a hand on Fuuta’s hair. “That’s why I need your help.”

Yes, Fuuta was with the Vongola right now. They wouldn’t do anything terrible to him that would jeopardize his ranking talent and the other mafia gangs would have a hell of a time if they upset Vongola.

“Even if you might get hurt? ”

He wasn’t worried about nothing. The Vongolas very well could ask Fuuta to rank and decipher where he and Toji will go. It would be an endless chase of cat and mouse. Maybe they would use force to take him back...maybe this was only going to end in one way with a lot of red.

“That is a risk I am willing to take. Besides, I have Toji-san with me.” Tsuna smiled. 

Fuuta had tears in his eyes but he took out his ranking book and asked with a smile, “What do you want to know?”

And Tsuna started, he started with the first question to his plan. 

“Where are the Vongola Rings?”


	29. Rings - 1

28 

They found the box for the rings in Iemitsu and Nana’s room. But there was only one half of a ring left inside.

“The rings have been distributed?” Tsuna asked.

“Yes,” Fuuta answered with a nod. “The Vongola rings belong to the seven core members. The boss has one and the rest are given to their guardians.”

Now that he mentioned it, Reborn and Dino did say something along those lines. They said the boss was the sky, the one that encompassed all and harmonized. Then the different weathers...what was it again?

He doesn’t really remember beside the fact that they all had something to do with the weather. 

“Tsuna-Nii is going to get all the rings back right?” Fuuta handed him a few pieces of paper. “I made a ranking for where the rings are but they must be scattered because I can’t rank it. Something else might be interfering with my ranking too when I tried ranking who most likely has the separate rings ...all I got for the mist is the initial CD.”

Tsuna skimmed through the paper. There were a few familiar names on them. It only confirmed his dreaded feeling that all of this was staged. These people, the ones he had started to consider as friends, were pre-selected and sent to his side by some ominous force working in the background. 

They were all being used.

“Thank you, Fuuta.”

The boy gave him a hug. “Good luck, Tsuna-Nii.”

He wrapped his arms around Fuuta and felt the fabric around his shoulder turned wet. A part of Tsuna knew the boy wanted to come with him but he couldn’t do it. They both knew that would only multiply the number of pursuers and danger. 

Fuuta needed Vongola.

And Tsuna can’t be Vongola. 

So the boy doesn’t ask to come along and Tsuna only tells him goodbye. 

Luck? Yes, they were going to need it. 

After he shut the front door to Sawada’s house, Tsuna found Toji smoking at the crossroad not far away but he wasn’t alone. Gokudera was with him. Well, there was a good ten feet in between the two but yeah, Gokudera was there.

The silver haired teen threw the cigarette in his mouth on the ground and stomped it out. He was still dressed in all his extra punk and skull jewellery and his shirt was a bright color. He turned to face Tsuna but the usual fanatical passion he always had in his eyes was gone. Gokudera looked quieter...and lost. 

“Boss,” he called but then he gagged on his word. Sighing, he came closer. “No, I guess it should be Tsuna now.”

“Gokudera-kun,” Tsuna wasn’t sure how he should act towards his friend. No matter how he tried to put it, he still chose the Fushiguros over his friends. He could understand the other teen’s disappointment.

And he felt bad for it. 

This friendship between them...it seemed like the people around Tsuna had poured more energy into it. They tried to maintain it even as Tsuna withdrew. They tried to crack his shell, showing him that they were there and they planned to stay. But now he has to push them away, further than he had ever done.

It hurt. 

“I heard about everything that happened with your dad and what you are planning to do from that.” Gokudera pointed to Toji. “Is this really your final decision?”

“Yes,” Tsuna heard himself saying. He didn’t know what to expect then. A beat down? Maybe Gokudera would get angry. 

A sad smile ghosted over Gokudera’s lips. His hand went into his pocket and he dug out one half of a ring. The storm ring. 

“I got this in the mail today. I was honored to receive it.” He stared at Tsuna with a frown. “I thought you had acknowledged me as your right hand. But that’s not the case is it? You didn’t know.”

Tsuna touched the silver haired teen’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Gokudera was trembling as he tried to keep his voice steady. “There’s no one else I would be willing to call ’Tenth’. I know you would be the greatest boss ever and I would pride myself in being able to serve under you. But that isn’t the life you want right?”

“I don’t,” Tsuna agreed softly. “I don’t want that life for any of you either.”

“I was born in the mafia. This is the only life I know how to live.”

Tsuna let go and shook his head. “That isn’t true. You’re one of the smartest people I have ever met, Hayato. You have got the brains and the brawns to get into any university you want. And you’ve shown me, shown all of us, that your hands and dynamites can do something other than hurt people. You protected the kids and your friends...you protected me.”

This was probably the first time Tsuna has ever called the silver haired teen by his first name. Gokudera looked up, surprise filled his eyes. Then his lips started quivering as he fought back tears. 

“I am grateful to call you my friend, Hayato.”

“Tsuna...” Gokudera wiped his face with the back of his hand and he stood up straight as he placed both hands on Tsuna’s shoulder.

“Can I ask you for one last thing then?” he asked with such seriousness it looked like he was about to go on the battlefield. 

Tsuna nodded. “Anything.”

“Sawada Tsunayoshi,” he said and his grip on Tsuna tightened. “Please give me your first and final official order as my Tenth.”

The brown haired teen smiled. “Alright, Gokudera-kun. Here is my order.”

Gokudera nodded as he anxiously waited for Tsuna’s words.

Taking in a deep breath, Tsuna spoke slowly, as if each syllable was a vow curved into stone. “I order you to live a life that you desire, to be free and to be happy in any passion or career of your choosing. You will probably take a few wrong turns or fall down sometimes...and it's okay to rest if you get tired but don’t you ever forget to get back up. You will find love, or maybe not. No matter what you choose, I want you to know that you are still Gokudera Hayato and you will always be Sawada Tsunayoshi’s friend. That is all.”

Gokudera nodded as he released Tsuna from his grip. The teen gave him a thumb up. “Don’t you worry, Tenth. I won’t fail you.”

Then he returned the storm ring to Tsuna.

After placing the ring back in the ring box, Tsuna smiled. “Thank you, Hayato.”

“The baseball idiot and lawn head should be coming. They also got rings too.” Gokudera sniffed back his tears. “I called them and they were listening in when that guy and I talked.”

“I have a name, you know?” Toji complained lazily.

“Shut up!” he yelled at the man. “No matter what Tsuna thinks, I still don’t like you. Also, you better do a damn exceptional job at protecting Tsuna or I will go dig up your body and bomb it to ashes myself!”

Toji laughed. Then they heard footsteps closing in and they turned around to find Yamamoto and Ryohei running towards them.

“Yamamoto-kun and Ryohei-senpai,” Tsuna greeted with a small wave. He was actually quite surprised that even the boxing club president got dragged into this mess. Kyoko-kun will definitely be worried. 

“Sawada! I heard all about the ring and what is going to happen in ten days,” Ryohei said loudly. “But I don’t remember a thing! I was promised a training session if I took the ring though.”

“Ah...” Tsuna knew right then that Reborn or whoever gave him the ring had used an incentive to bait Ryohei into agreeing to fight to the death.

“Hey Tsuna,” Yamamoto came up to him with his usual carefree smile. “Looks like a lot is happening right now isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Tsuna sighed. “Yamamoto-kun, please give me back the ring. It is dangerous because the long hair dude might target you again if you are in possession of it.”

That wiped the smile off Yamamoto’s face. He held the ring of the rain between his fingers and stared at Tsuna and Toji in silence. Tsuna only waited. He wasn’t going to try and take the ring by force.

He could never do that to the people that considered him as a friend.

“...Hey, Baseball idiot.” Gokudera nudged the baseball star slightly with his elbow even though he was scowling.

“I don’t like losing so I kind of want a rematch with the long hair. But Tsuna needs this to do something important right?” Yamamoto looked down at the ring he was holding for a moment. Finally, he handed it to Tsuna. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, Yamamoto-kun.”

“Don’t thank me. I play baseball so I don’t wear a ring,” Yamamoto said as he patted Tsuna on the back. “And you saved me before so it’s time I do the same, even though giving you a ring I got in my mailbox really can’t compare to jumping off a roof.”

“Yamamoto-kun...” Tsuna held the ring of the rain tight. He could see the smile returning on the dark haired teen’s face. 

“Tsuna has a different dream to chase right? So go do it.”

Tsuna felt something fluttered inside his heart. It was a warm and fuzzy feeling that made him feel like crying...but it wasn’t because of pain or sorrow. 

“I extremely didn’t understand a thing!” Ryohei suddenly shouted with his fists raised in the air. It startled Tsuna. “But I got this, Sawada extremely doesn't want us to get hurt and he needs the rings to keep an extreme promise. I like your resolution so I shall help by giving it to you.” The boxer handed over the ring of the sun. “A promise is important. Keep doing what you think is best, Sawada!” 

“Ryohei-senpai...” Tsuna watched as the box for the rings started to fill up. He didn’t think it was going to be this easy. He had anticipated a lot of arguments or even disappointed looks but his friends showed him otherwise. 

“Thank you,” he whispered. “All of you.”

“Good luck, Tsuna.”

“Don’t worry about us.”

“We will be extremely fine!”

Tsuna stared at the three other teen’s faces, as if he was trying to engrave all of their features into his brain. Then, he hugged them all in turn.

“Goodbye.” Tsuna waved at them as he turned away with the rings in hand. 

Toji held the brown haired teen’s hand in his and Tsuna could feel the warmth spreading within his chest. 

“Toji-san.”

“Yeah?”

“I have really great friends.”

The man chuckled. “I guess they are alright.”

And they disappeared into the night’s streets, searching for the rest of the rings. Unbeknownst to them, the three other teens didn’t leave immediately. 

“This sucks.” Gokudera punched the wall besides him as he clenched his teeth. His shoulder was sagged and he racked a hand through his hair in frustration. 

Yamamoto leaned against the wall with both hands in his pockets as he stared up at the moths gathering towards the street lamps.

“This is for the best. What Tsuna wants to do...right now we would only get in his way.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Gokudera’s words were trembling. Yes, they heard about what Tsuna wanted to do.

He wanted to start a rebellion.

A rebellion against Vongola.

He wanted no more mafia. No more blood and violence. No more danger for the people close to him.

So that idiot chose to take on everything by himself. Gokudera understood it the most. He was mafia so he naturally understood the whole situation better than the civilian born and raised Yamamoto and Ryohei. If Sawada Tsunayoshi wasn’t the Tenth, _they_ weren’t needed anymore. They could live their lives however they choose. Vaira, or whatever else wouldn’t target them any longer because they were worthless targets. Nothing to gain from killing a bunch of normal teenagers.

Now Vongola and its enemies would all be chasing Tsuna and Toji instead. 

And this knowledge was driving Gokudera crazy.

Also, they would be lying if they say they weren't even a little bit jealous. Tsuna chose Toji. He made that man and his son (Gokudera still can't believe that monster had a son) a promise. Although the man didn't say much, they understood that his birth family was shitty too and they wanted the child. They want nothing but an heir, just like Vongola does to Tsuna. 

That was why Tsuna needed to do this. To save himself. To save that boy.

To keep his promise.

“So what do we do now?” Yamamoto asked. 

“Training of course!” Ryohei smashed his fist into his palm. “If we get stronger then Sawada won’t have to worry about us anymore, would he?”

His words made both other teens paused and stared at him as if he just sprouted wings. 

“Lawn head...you actually said something smart for once.” Gokudera mentally smacked himself for not coming up with that idea sooner. He was supposed to be the smartest out of the three. 

“Hahaha!” Yamamoto placed his hands behind his head. “I guess that is true.”

In a little more than a week, the Varia was coming. The enemy was coming.

They didn’t know exactly what Tsuna and Toji had planned and there was no guarantee they would succeed. This war they planned to start, it was going to be a long crusade. 

So Gokudera and the others should get stronger. They need to get stronger so they would never get left behind by Tsuna and Toji again. 

Even if all else fails, they wouldn’t be a liability.

Gokudera and Yamamoto shared a look, they both knew who to ask for help. They were going to get stronger so they could protect their friend even if they were miles apart. 

#

The cloud ring was with Hibari-senpai. 

Tsuna didn’t know if he should applaud Reborn and Iemitsu for having such a good eye for talent or start freaking out that he had to try and take the ring back from Hibari. _Hibari_

They found the black haired demonic head perfect at school the next morning and they were greeted by nearly having metal smashed into their faces. 

“Outsiders are not allowed on school grounds without a permit.” 

“Wait, H-Hibari-senpai!” Tsuna scrambled out of the head perfect’s attack range. 

Hibari’s foot swept towards him through the air, brushing by the top of Tsuna’s head as the brown haired teen ducked. “Not wearing a uniform and crowding are also against the school code, omnivore.”

Now, Tsuna knew it wouldn’t be easy to talk to Hibari. But a fight inside the Disciplinary Committee’s meeting room? The space was cramped and Tsuna narrowly escaped attacks after attacks. But that seemed to only make Hibari happier.

And a happy Hibari was a _very_ combative one.

Toji broke the chase up by body slamming Hibari into the wall.

“Toji-san!”

“What?” Toji came back to Tsuna’s side and he leaned most of his weight on the teen as he yawned. “It’s not like he will listen any other way.” 

The head perfect swayed as he got up. He looked slightly disoriented and Tsuna took the opportunity to stammer out his request. 

“...In conclusion, please give me back the ring!” Tsuna begged with his hands clasped into a prayer in front of his face. 

Hibari only stared at him as if he was deciding which angle he should strike at. Then Hibird came flying towards them from on top of the shelf. The yellow creature landed on Hibari’s shoulder and there was something shiny between its beak. 

“Hibari! Hibari!” it sung and the ring of the cloud dropped into Hibari’s palm.

“I don’t really care about the ring,” Hibari started as he shook the dizziness off. “But this is technically mine isn’t it? If you want it, I want something in exchange.”

“What is it?” Toji asked.

“A match,” Hibari demanded with a grin as he pointed one end of his tonfa at Toji. There was a raw anticipation for battle and excitement in his eyes. “Me and you, carnivore.”

_Oh no._

Tsuna gulped uneasily. “Wait a second, Hibari-senpai—”

“Tsuna,” Toji lifted his arm off the teen’s shoulder. “You go get the next one. I will catch up with you.”

“Toji-san...”

The man was stretching his back out already. “Relax, this will be quick.”

And ugly.

This was Hibari they were talking about. Tsuna doesn't see the head of the Disciplinary Committee lying down easily in any lifetime. 

But as he studied the smiles on both of their lips...Tsuna couldn’t find the courage to try and interfere. “Okay. Please don’t kill each other.”

“No promises.”

“I’m going to bite you to death.”

_Yep. This is going to end so well._

Still, Tsuna left the room without another word. He even closed the door behind him to avoid the other students from witnessing whatever bloody show was going to happen.

#

All that was left was the rings for the mist and thunder. 

From Fuuta’s information, it looked like the person that most likely had the ring of thunder was Lambo.

Lambo.

Now he already knew the mafia was nuts but naming a five year old kid a soldier and contestant for bloody ways to die? This was a whole new level of idiocy and insanity.

“Lambo?” Tsuna shouted while he stood inside the park. “Where are you?”

For some reason he can’t find the kid at all. Lambo wasn’t at home and he wasn’t at any of the usual places he would go play at. I-pin said Lambo got picked up by some Bovino men to fix up his 10 year bazooka. But Fuuta’s rankings show that the kid was still somewhere in Namimori. They couldn’t get more specific because they had too little information.

Tsuna had no idea where to find the ring of the mist as well. An initial wasn’t much to go on. 

“What am I going to do?” Tsuna sighed as he sat down on the bench. When he looked up, he saw a girl in Kokuyou uniform standing in front of the vending machine. Her hair was styled in a very familiar shape...and Tsuna thought she looked kind of depressed.

“Are you ok?” he asked. 

That seemed to have startled her a bit as she took a step back, revealing the eyepatch Tsuna hadn’t noticed before. “I...I am fine.”

She was also holding a small purse tightly in her hands. Judging by how she was staring at the drinks for the past ten minutes, either she was having a real hard time deciding what she wanted or...“Do you need any help?”

Her lips moved silently but then with a blush over her cheeks, she whispered quietly, “It seemed like I don’t have enough to get everything the others wanted.”

_Others?_

He didn’t sense any distress from her. She looked like she was here to buy the drinks without being coerced. 

“The others?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “They...they are very important to me.”

Tsuna nodded. He knew that feeling. The need and desire to keep those important to you happy. “I see. How much are you short on?”

She looked surprised as her eyes widened but she stammered out a number and Tsuna gave her the change. 

“Thank you,” the girl said with a small smile. “My name is Chrome.”

“Chrome...” Tsuna didn’t think that was her birth name but he wasn’t one to pry too deep into other people’s secrets. “I am Tsuna, Sawada Tsunayoshi.”

“I have heard things about you.”

Tsuna could only laugh. Has his nickname of being dame traveled so far already? Well, he probably shouldn’t linger on that too much. It will just bring his mood down.

“We will meet again,” she spoke softly as Tsuna started to turn away. 

Tsuna smiled at her. “Yeah, I hope so too.”

Then he bid her farewell as he continued his search for Lambo. He would need all of the rings before the Varia arrived. 

He wondered if Toji got the cloud ring from Hibari yet. They have no time to waste after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timoteo is mafia all the way through. He wouldn't lived so long if he couldn't make some real shady choices...I like to keep the stories I write more realistic so technically there are no "bad guys". Everyone is doing what they think is best from their points of views. There's an old saying back home where it roughly translates into "where you seat decides how you think" so I like to write struggles between the different motives people have :)
> 
> Also...yeah, I'm pretty sure Nono had a hand in a lot of the shit the KHR kids went through in canon so fuck him.


	30. Rings - 2

29

Dino got a message from Reborn asking him to train Hibari Kyoya.

The black haired teen was Namimori’s crownless king. He ruled over the town and enforced peace all over with his tonfas and merciless strength. Just based on the files, Dino thought the kid would make a wonderful cloud. It was as if he was custom made for the position already.

“Sure, I will do it,” Dino answered into his phone. “Have you already got tutors for Tsuna’s other guardians already?”

He expected a confident yes. This was Reborn and the hitman was always prepared. But there was silence on the other end, a deadly silence that made Dino questioned if his phone had died. 

“Things are...a little complicated at the moment.” Reborn’s voice sounded strained. “But we should prepare them just in case. Just focus your energy on training Hibari for now.”

“Wait, Reborn! What do you mean by complicated?” 

The call had ended, leaving Dino confused and stunned as he turned to his subordinates, who also looked just as puzzled. But his trust in Reborn still led Dino to show up at Namimori middle. 

He thought the head perfect would be in the reception room or the office for the Disciplinary Committee but there was no one there. He did find some crashed chairs in the room though and the window was wide open.

Finally, he found Hibari on the roof. 

The teen had a bruise on his face and he was leaning against the fence. 

“Hibari Kyoya?” Dino asked as he approached the teen. There was a fight here recently but the other party had left. Maybe the other disciplinary members had sent them to the hospital already and left their leader alone to rest. 

There was a slight haze in Hibari’’s eyes before they turned sharp again. “...Who are you?”

“I’m like Tsuna’s big brother and also an acquaintance of Reborn’s. I want to talk to you about the ring with a cloud symbol on it.” 

Hibari stood up. “The baby’s? Then you must be strong.”

Dino wouldn’t object to that. He was the boss of an allied family to Vongola and Reborn’s student. He would never hear the end of it if he wasn’t at least _decent_ in what he does.

So he nodded and smiled. “About the ring...”

“I don’t care about the ring.” 

Hibari attacked. 

And he was quick. Dino leaned back to avoid the strike at his jaw. Hibari’s attacks were ferocious and he attacked with every intent to deliver maximum damage. He was definitely going to be a great cloud. 

Dino halted the teen’s attacks by tying his arm with his whip. Hibari glared at him but there was a hint of surprise in his features.

“I’m here to make you stronger, Kyoya. You’re still a frog in the well if you are satisfied with what you can do now.” 

The response he got was a blow to the side of his head by Hibari’s tonfas. The teen had somehow gotten free and closed the gap between them in seconds. 

“Ow! Hey!” Dino stumbled back. He had avoided taking a direct hit but it still hurt. When he looked up, he saw Hibari studying him as if he was reassessing Dino’s value.

To be honest, it was kind of unnerving.

“You’re here to make me stronger?” the teen asked.

Even though Dino couldn’t really tell what the other was thinking, he still agreed. “Yes.”

“Alright then,” Hibari said as he lifted a smile. “Let’s go.”

# 

Toji got the cloud ring back from Hibari. 

“Easy as pie,” the man had said when he threw the ring to Tsuna when they met up at the front gate of the school. He looked relatively well, except for the one or two scratches on his forearm and the light sweat rolling down his neck. 

Tsuna didn’t see Hibari anywhere. 

“I left him on the roof.” Toji threw on his jacket while they strolled down the street. “Geez, that kid sure doesn't know when to quit. I didn’t break any part of him though. Just knocked him out.”

That was...good news?

“Did you get the other two rings?”

“No,” Tsuna answered with gloom. They have no idea who the mist was and he didn’t think it was going to be so hard to find Lambo.

Toji hummed as they stopped by a taiyaki shop. “We will find them soon. Technically we don’t need all the rings to make a bargain either.”

That was true. So long as Tsuna hands over the sky ring that was a symbol for the successor, they will have to admit Xanxus was the heir and subsequently return the rest of the rings to Varia. 

But it would be better if Tsuna can hand over all of the rings at once. Then Varia would have no reason to pursue any of them. 

“I still can’t believe they gave a ring to Lambo.” The kid was five! Five! And he wasn’t the brightest light bud out there either. Whatever criteria Vongola had used to select the guardians must be real messed up. 

Toji handed Tsuna one of the taiyaki from the paper bag. The fish shaped dessert was freshly made and light whisks of steam climbed towards the sky. Tsuna took a bite and he could taste the sweetness of the red bean paste inside. It made him feel slightly better, less anxious. 

“He can’t be far from here. That ranking boy said the cow kid was still in Namimori didn’t he? Relax, we will find him before the Varia shows up.” Toji didn’t seem too concerned as he ate his dessert. “Hey, this one is custard, you want to try it?”

The man placed it by Tsuna’s mouth and the teen took a bite. It was sweeter than the red bean one and a little bit too creamy for Tsuna’s liking. Gojo would probably love it though. 

Then both of them suddenly turned their heads to the same direction. 

“Toji-san,” Tsuna called after he quickly finished his dessert. 

Toji licked his finger. “Yeah, trouble.” 

He saw it too. Men in black suits were gathering towards them. They looked like regular business people, with plain suits and unmemorable faces but the way they moved was too familiar. Silent and quick, threading through the crowd of people like a ghost. And their positions...they were trying to surround Toji and Tsuna. 

“This is my dad again isn’t it?” Tsuna silently cursed the man. It surely didn’t look like these men were here to invite them to a nice tea party. 

“Think of it as a test run for what’s coming next.” Toji lifted a grin as he threw the empty dessert bag into the trash besides them. “Ready to bail?”

Tsuna only grumbled a complaint as they raced into the crowd. 

And that was how they spent the next few days. Toji and Tsuna would try to find Lambo and the mist ring while they avoided pursuers during the day. It was a real game of cat and mouse as they ran through dark alleys and rolled down rooftops. Climbing fences and windows became an alternative to using the doors or gates.

The amount of people chasing them didn’t seem to decrease. In fact, they got better. It wasn’t just men in suits now. It was people disguised as pregnant ladies, couriers pushing a cart, and students passing by. 

Now, things would probably be easier if they killed or maimed their pursuers but considering their goal...it probably wasn’t the smartest move to make. They don’t need to piss off Vongola even more at this point (they were saving that for later) and the people that were sent to catch them were only doing their jobs.

Tsuna didn’t think they deserved death for their loyalty. His father, however, probably deserve a few more broken bones.

He thought they could escape back to the Fushiguros through the mirror at night but frequenting one place too often would alert their pursuers something was wrong. And it wouldn’t be fun to have them stake out at the shrine.

They made one trip back to make sure the Fushiguro kids have everything they needed for a while and Tsuna explained what they planned to do to Gojo, who came to visit. 

The jujutsu sorcerer had stared at him for a long silent minute before bursting out laughing as he rolled on the ground in the living room. Gojo nearly dropped the cake he was holding when he did so. 

“It’s too bad I have to go on missions,” he wheezed while he tried to calm down. “I _so_ want to be there to see it all go down! Damn it, you better take some pictures.”

“Gojo-san, you’re scaring the kids.” Tsuna passed the older teen a tissue so he could dry his tears from laughing so hard. Honestly though, Megumi and Tsumiki were standing behind Tsuna and looking at Gojo as if he was crazy. 

The white haired teen didn’t care. He merely pushed up his sunglasses and extended his hand towards Tsuna. “So where are these famous Vongola rings?”

“Here.”

Tsuna handed him the box and watched while Gojo opened it. The jujutsu sorcerer whistled as he picked up one of the rings and studied it against the light. “Cool. You sure have got something really interesting here.”

That was probably not the greatest thing you’d want to hear out of the mouth of someone with the six eyes.

“They aren’t cursed are they?” Tsuna would feel slightly terrible if he handed off cursed objects to regular people, even if said people were bloodthirsty mafia assassins.

“For something that symbolized the heir to the most powerful mafia famiglia in the world? Surprisingly, they’re not.” Gojo gave the rings back to him. “Fun, isn’t it?”

“Sure.” Maybe that just meant the curses were directed to whoever wore the rings then. 

“Well, cursed or not, we’re getting rid of them soon. They’re somebody else’s problem.” Toji stood in the hallway with a backpack. “Ready to go?”

Tsuna got up from the ground but he felt a small pull on his shirt.

“Megumi?”

The boy looked up at him with those green eyes. He didn’t really understand why Tsuna and his dad were leaving. He didn’t know what they were planning to do except that all of them might be going on a trip soon. But before then, Tsuna and his dad have to do something important.

Something that Megumi instinctively knew was dangerous. 

It was Tsumiki who made the boy release his hold. She held her brother’s hand by her side as she glanced between Tsuna and Toji. “Tsuna and daddy will be home soon right?”

“Yes, we will.” Tsuna leaned down and he placed a hand on the girl’s head. “And then we are going on vacation. Where do you want to go?”

“Disneyland!”

“That will be our first stop then.”

Tsumiki nodded with obvious joy on her face. Megumi looked like he wanted to say something else but he clamped his mouth shut and a soft smile made it to his lips.

This was the thing Tsuna wanted to protect. He wanted to see the kids happy. He wanted no one else around him to get hurt.

No more blood. 

The brown haired teen straightened himself as he headed out the door. 

“Tsuna!” Gojo yelled as he sat cross-legged on the floor with the Fushiguro kids. He flashed them all a pearl white smile. “Go raise some fucking hell.”< /p>

Tsuna grinned. 

Gojo didn’t need to say it out loud. That was exactly what they planned to do.

 _Fuck Vongola._

It was night time again as Tsuna laid on the bed in a motel somewhere in Namimori. The place wasn’t great. It was small and they could hear the sounds coming from next door. There were a few stains on the floor here and there. The whole building also seemed to shake whenever the train passed by. But it was secluded and at least the bed smelled decently cleaned. Vongola haven’t infested this part of town either. 

“This is shitty.” Tsuna groaned into the pillow as they came up with nothing again for the day. They can’t go back to the Sawada house and ask Fuuta for help. Not when there were Vongola’s people wandering around. 

A hand was on the back of Tsuna’s hair. Toji sat down on the bed and the cursed spirit was wrapped around his shoulder. It greeted Tsuna with a series of intelligible sounds. 

“Scared?”

“A little,” Tsuna admitted. He was scared of running into his dad and Reborn again. He didn’t like confrontations and he also was nervous about bargaining with Xanxus. 

Toji chuckled. His laughter was low and Tsuna could feel the heat from the man’s body as he leaned in close. Toji laid down next to Tsuna and pulled him towards his chest. The cursed spirit shifted, crawling with its many stubby legs so that it curled around the two of them. 

Its mouth was still positioned besides Toji’s hands though. If anything happens, the man would be able to reach his weapons in no time. 

“If we really have to, let’s just curse them all.” Toji whispered besides Tsuna’s ears. “Kon has a lot of candidates we can choose from.”

He meant the jujutsu sorcerers and the shamans that were willing to kill for a quick buck. No trail to follow and no evidence will be left behind. 

Tsuna shook his head. “Let’s not get the two sides mixing too much.”

Bad things happen with curses. If he could, he would like to prevent new ones from forming. 

“You want to call quits then?”

“Of course not. I am not Vongola. I will never be Vongola.” Tsuna hid his face in the man’s chest. That was not the life he wanted. 

“Then we start fresh tomorrow,” Toji promised. “Maybe even beat up a few of your dad’s minions along the way. Think they will get the message after that?”

They probably won’t. At least, Tsuna doesn’t see it getting through Iemitsu’s dense skull anytime soon. That man might be good at his job as an external advisor but he can be real blind at times. Meaning, it would probably be some more time until they can get a quiet peaceful life. 

But that was fine. Tsuna doesn’t regret his choice. Not when he could hear the steady beats of the man’s heart besides him. Because he could never imagine having to part with this sound. They have no idea where they were going. They’ve got nothing figured out. Probably...even God doesn't know what they are destined for either.

But that was fine. 

Toji threw away his past to be freed from that cage made of blood and traditions. Now Tsuna was throwing away his so he could have a future under the light. So _they_ could have a life under the light.

The path he chose was a irresponsible and uncertain one. Some might even call him "dumb" for throwing everything all away. They'd think he was just another young and foolish lovestruck teen that didn't know the harsh reality. But this was his choice and he would see it through to the end. 

Even if there was only hell waiting for him at the finish line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hibari kind of agreed easier than he did in canon because he just got his posterior handed to him by Toji. 
> 
> Varia is coming in the next chapter ;)


	31. Varia - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING** : The end notes will contain spoilers for JJK as I discuss why I made the choices I did in this chapter. It is also kind of long.
> 
> Reviews are welcomed. Let me know what you guys think about my rant lol.

30

Time quickly went by.

They still don’t have all the rings. 

“What we have will have to do then.” Toji shrugged as they moved through the quiet neighbourhood. 

Tsuna guessed that was true. There wasn’t much else they could do since they already went through every inch of Namimori but came up with nothing. 

They heard children screaming and those voices sounded oddly familiar. When they turned around the corner, Tsuna saw the kid they spent the past few days desperately trying to find. 

“Lambo!” he shouted.

But it wasn’t just Lambo there. Tsuna’s friends and the kids were all there. Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, Fuuta, and I-pin were standing in the middle of the road and there were three men in black leather uniforms on the ground. The same uniform that Squalo wore. 

Varia was here.

“Everyone...”

Tsuna ran down the street to meet them. 

“Hey, it’s been a while!” Ryohei greeted him with a smile. 

“Tsuna-Nii!” Fuuta ran up to the brown haired teen and launched himself into Tsuna’s arms. 

“Are you guys alright?” Tsuna patted the boy on the back as he studied the group. The older teens looked fine but…”I-pin? Did you fight them?”

The little girl had dirt on her face but she looked like she was moving fine and there was no blood. 

“Tsuna! I’m tired.” Lambo whined as he rolled on the ground. 

Tsuna sighed as he picked the kid up. “Don’t sleep on the ground. It’s dirty.” Then something shiny caught his eyes. “And you’ve got the ring stuck in your hair...oh my gods, you don’t know how much trouble we went through to find you.”

He picked the thunder ring out of Lambo’s hair. 

“I totally don’t understand why this idiot cow got a ring too,” Gokudera grumbled under his breath while the others laughed.

“We got a message from your dad saying the Varia was in town.” Yamamoto told Tsuna quietly and what he had to say made Tsuna’s muscles tense. “He said they might be targeting Lambo because the Varia’s lightning guardian is leading the troop. But I guess it’s good that we won so easily.”

“Lightning guardian?” Toji repeated. “You don’t mean that guy don’t you?”

He pointed to somewhere with higher elevation and they saw a figure closing in. This newcomer had spiky black hair and piercings on his face. He wore the same uniform as the men on the ground and his glare was intense as he scanned the group of teenagers and children. 

“So you kid are our opponents...” he said and his gaze landed on Tsuna, who was holding the lightning ring. “Which one of you is the lightning guardian? I shall eliminate you first.”

And his hands went to the weapons on his back. Tsuna could feel the air dense around them, filled with the anticipation for battle and an intent to kill. 

But just before the Vaira assassin striked, another voice with a higher pitch came from behind him. “Hold it, Levi. Don’t hunt them all on your own.”

There was a blond teen with a crown on his head, a man with a mohawk and fur collar, a baby with their face hidden behind a cloak, and a gigantic man with a hazard mask on.

And none of them looked friendly even if they were smiling.

“VOOOIII!” Squalo marched up to the front of that group. He looked like he had healed pretty well. “How dare you scums trick me? Which one of you wields the ring of the rain?”

The silver haired swordsman had half of the rain ring on his finger. 

Tsuna’s friends remained silent. 

“About that...” Tsuna set down Lambo as he walked towards Squalo. “I need an audience with your boss, Xanxus was it?”

Squalo opened his mouth but a hand shoved him aside roughly. 

“Move,” ordered the newcomer. 

He was a tall man with black hair and scars on his face. Feathers and colorful fur fell down the nape of his neck while he wore his uniform jacket like a cape over a white shirt. The lines of his features were hard and rough, which only made him seem aloof and intimidating.

Xanxus.

He didn’t need any introduction. Tsuna knew this was Varia's leader as soon as he laid eyes on the man. And Xanxus wishes for Tsuna’s death with every cell inside his body. 

The teen could feel it in the way Xanxus was staring at him. It was a thick and nearly concrete feeling that dropped like a piano on his shoulders. It almost felt like he was facing off a cursed spirit. He didn’t know someone could harbor so much hatred and negative emotions for people they have never met before.

“Sawada Tsunayoshi...” Xanxus mumbled and there was light gathering in his palms. The rest of Varia suddenly got really nervous as well, and Squalo looked absolutely shocked.

Xanxus pointed his hand at Tsuna as he said, “Die.”

But right then, his expression changed and Xanxus jumped back. There was a bullet hole in the ground where he stood just seconds before.

“Too bad,” Toji laughed while smoke came from the gun in his hand. “Thought I could at least get a hit at his leg or something.”

Tsuna knew the Sorcerer Killer didn’t aim for the kill. They need Xanxus alive. But right now, he turned his head towards the Varia and he could see the gloom over Xanxus’s face.

Yep, the man was pissed off.

“Xanxus, right?” Tsuna cleared his throat. “I want to make you a deal.”

“A deal?” Xanxus smiled but it wasn’t because he found it amusing or he was happy. It was more like he was mad to the point of no return after being insulted. “What can lousy trash like you possibly have to offer?”

_Well, that was mean._

Tsuna sighed with exhaustion. Why can’t these mafia ever just...just talk like civilized human beings? He probably will have better luck at striking good chitchats with the underground shamans at this point. _And_ some of those people’s hobbies involved skewering people in the woods. 

_It’s now or never._

“I don’t want to be Vongola Decimo,” Tsuna shouted. “I don’t know why they didn’t choose you as the heir and I honestly don’t give a rat’s ass about it! But I want to make you a deal because this violence is pointless and stupid. You asked me what I have to offer didn’t you? I am willing to give you the Vongola rings. All of them except for the mist cause none of us know who’s got that. You’d have to beat it out of my dad or something.”

To prove his point, Tsuna opened the ring box to show Varia the rings. 

Xanxus glanced at the serious look on Tsuna’s face and then down to the rings. “What do you want in exchange, trash?” 

He got an upgrade from lousy trash to trash. Tsuna wasn’t sure if that was a good thing but at least the Italian man looked like he was willing to listen now. He knew what the other man was thinking. They were assassins. They could try to kill all of Tsuna’s friends and simply take the ring. Yet Xanxus didn’t do that. That wasn’t his first course of action.

Out of pity? Out of curiosity? Doesn’t matter. This man might look and act like every bit of a ruthless mafia man with all brawns and no brain but Tsuna could tell Xanxus was _thinking_. And that was all the teen needed for now. 

“A promise. I want a binding promise from you.” Tsuna could tell the Varia was like normal people. They have cursed energy just like everyone else so they could form a regular bond. Should they break that, bad things will happen to them. “I want you to promise Vongola’s aid and its name should I ever need it in a fight against a clan of people named the Zenins.”

“...Zenin?”

Xanxus and his gang looked confused. Tsuna guessed that wasn’t surprising, considering how the jujutsu sorcerers had concealed themselves to the public’s eyes and cut off ties with the mafias. 

He was about to explain more when a pickaxe landed in between them. 

“That is enough, Xanxus.”

It was Iemitsu. He still had bandages around his head but he was in his orange overalls and he was walking. He talked just fine too. Either this man was real sturdy or Vongola has some damn good doctors. There were also some men in black suits behind him along with Basil and Reborn.

“Iemitsu,” Xanxus said that name as if it was poison.

“What are you doing here?” Squalo shouted angrily. “You coward only knew how to run.”

“I was waiting for a message from the Ninth.” Iemitsu held out two scrolls. “I came with his order.”

“Order…?” Tsuna didn’t like the sound of that.

Basil handed him one scroll and Xanxus received the other. The pages were lit by a dying will flame at the top. 

“It’s a real order from the Ninth. That’s his flame alright,” the baby in Varia’s group noted. 

The letter was written in Italian but Iemitsu translated it into Japanese. He explained that the Ninth had decided that his youngest son, Xanxus, would be the better heir but people in the family might not take that too well. So a battle then. Between Tsuna and Xanxus. Between their guardians shall decide the victor and the next don. 

“There’s no need for that!” Tsuna shouted at his dad. “I am willing to give Xanxus the rings willingly. We don’t have to fight.”

“I’m afraid the battles have been set into motion already,” Iemitsu said. “We were told to wait for instructions.”

“Instructions from who?” Xanxus asked.

“From us. We, the Cervello, will serve as the judges.” Twin girls with dark skin and pink hair came out of the shadows. They went on to explain how they were directly under the Ninth’s order and they shall take care of everything related to the battles.

And Tsuna, Tsuna gave up. He grabbed the gun from Toji and fired aimlessly at the girls called themselves Cervello or Cello. Whatever, he doesn’t care. 

“This is insane,” he spat as the girls dodged the bullets. “I don’t have any guardians and even if I do, they can just forfeit the battles can’t they? The outcome won’t change from if I just handed over the rings.”

“The battle is a tradition.”

“Fuck your traditions.” Tsuna turned to Xanxus, who seemed a bit surprised at the teen’s coarse attitude. “We don’t have to do this, Xanxus.”

The black haired assassin only looked down at the paper in his hand before glaring up at Tsuna. 

“You have some guts, I will admit that. I don’t really know what you are trying to gain by bargaining a deal with me, trash. But it would definitely save me some time.” Xanxus stated coldly. “Although now it looks like I won’t be properly admitted as heir unless we fight. It won’t satisfy people both within and outside of the family if we don’t. So I will take the position of the next boss from you fair and square.”

This was…no!

No. This was all wrong. 

But Tsuna could only watch as the girls and Varia disappeared into the night. Clenching the box of rings tight in his hand, he turned to see Iemitsu and Reborn coming closer to them.

“Why?” he questioned with a cold fury. “Why can’t you just name Xanxus heir as well? His own father, the Ninth, your boss said it was fine.”

“Tsuna, the Ninth I know would never agree to something so outrageous.” Reborn jumped down from Basil’s shoulder and landed in front of the teen.

“Besides, Xanxus isn’t a man that will leave behind a possible threat. He would come kill you all sooner or later.”

Tsuna took a deep breath. This wasn’t how he planned for things to go. 

“We also have something else to take care of right now.” Iemitsu crossed his arms in front of his chest. “By the Ninth’s order, the CEDEF is in charge of eliminating the threat to the family known as the Heavenly Tyrant.”

“What?” Tsuna shouted as he realized there were multiple red dots of light on Toji’s body. Snipers. Many of them. Iemitsu’s men on the ground also surrounded them. They cut off Gokudera and the others from them as well. 

“Tsuna!” Yamamoto yelled with worry while Gokudera tried to push past the wall of men in their way. 

“Don’t come close!” the brown haired teen said when he realized his father wasn’t messing around. This was no game. The man really was going to kill Toji.

In front of all of them.

Tension rose in the air as they stood facing each other. To Tsuna’s surprise, Reborn turned to Iemitsu and said, “Call off your men, Iemitsu. This is not necessary.” 

“He is a threat to the family, to Tsuna. He is dangerous for my son.” Iemitsu didn’t budge. “The order was given by the Ninth himself. Do you plan to go against that, Reborn?”

“I am not part of Vongola,” the hitman replied. “Nono is not my boss and I say this as a friend, back off Iemitsu. He might be a piece of trash but you can’t do this precisely for Tsuna’s sake. Not now and not here.”

Neither Tsuna nor Toji expected Reborn to say that. The hitman didn’t look at them as he spoke though and his face was about as expressive as a box of tissue. But the way he stood in front of Iemitsu told them that he was serious. He didn’t think killing Toji would do any good and he was going to defend his argument through physical measures if he has to.

Reborn repeated, “Back off, Iemitsu.”

The atmosphere only got heavier as Iemitsu’s face sagged. His muscles were tensed as he stared at his long time friend and his son. There was a twitch of betrayal in his eyes and confusion when he looked at Reborn. When his gaze landed on Tsuna, it quickly turned to pain and sadness.

He reached out with struggle in his eyebrows towards Tsuna. 

And that was quickly disrupted by Toji.

He started laughing.

In a time like this, with snipers and an angry father all targeting him, the Sorcerer Killer started laughing. “So it really had to come down to this, huh? Well, I guess it’s not surprising considering you are mafia.”

“Toji-san!” He didn’t think it was the right move to try and agitate his dad any further.

“Relax,” the man pulled him in close. Now they were both in the snipers’ range and Iemitsu would think twice about firing when Tsuna was so close. Hot anger flashed across the blond man’s face as Toji continued on. “It’s not like this is the first time I’ve got a bounty on my head. Also, looks like our plan A just went down the drain. Well, what can we do? Life is just a shit show of one problem after the next isn’t it?”

That made Tsuna swallow whatever he was going to say. Toji was planning something. He was scheming. 

So Tsuna kept his mouth shut. 

Toji took the rings box from Tsuna and opened it even as the dots of laser light concentrated on his forehead and limbs. 

“Tell you what, I will be the kid’s sun.” He snatched the sun ring out of the box as he smiled at Iemitsu. “Problem solved. That current head of yours only wants me dead because I am a threat to the family right? So that order will be cancelled if I _am_ part of the family.”

His declaration shocked everyone. Gokudera’s jaw dropped to the floor while Reborn and Iemitsu looked at Toji as if he was running naked through the streets.

Finally, Iemitsu regained enough speaking ability and scorned. “You really think I am going to let you close to my son? As a guardian nonetheless?”

“The first Vongola took in all sorts of weird people from all walks of life. I also think I would do better than a teenager that had never killed anyone yet. What, do I need to fill out a resume and apply for the position now? Cause I have got a _killer_ one!”

Iemitsu ignored the horrible pun as he sank into his thoughts.

All of them knew fully well that Toji was better suited than any of the candidates Reborn had picked out. He was stronger and faster. He knew the darkness and the games inside out. He had experience. The elders of the family, people from other famiglias...they would surely question a foreign teenager’s authority. To top it all off, Tsuna’s guardians were all young too. 

But if Toji was part of the tenth generation, they would have a less difficult time. Tsuna would have a less difficult time advancing as the Tenth.

This man alone could take care of a lot of problems once people knew what he was capable of. 

“Why the sun?” Reborn asked. He didn’t think Toji just randomly selected a ring out of the box on a whim. “Out of all the rings, why that one?”

Why not lightning? Lambo has the lightning ring and he was a five years old kid. It made more sense to take that one. Less resistance, less objection...but Toji chose the sun. 

Toji smirked. “That would be a trade’s secret.”

“Hey!” Ryohei screamed from his spot away from them. “I don’t really get what is happening but it sounds like you are trying to take my place in battle. That ring was supposed to be mine isn’t it?”

“Ryohei-senpai...” Tsuna wanted to tell the older teen to quit it. One less person dragged into this mess was better. These were professional assassins they were talking about. And Ryohei was just a middle schooler.

But Toji was faster than him. The man shoved the rest of the rings into Tsuna’s hands and released the teen from his hold. He pointed to Ryohei. “How about a battle between you and I then? To decide who gets to be the sun?”

“Sure!” 

And that was the end. As soon as the last syllable left Ryohei’s mouth, he was out cold on the ground. Toji stood behind the boxer’s limp body with one foot on his head.

The snipers all lost their targets and the laser lights landed on the ground, aimless and shocked. 

“Lawn head!” Gokudera moved up to check on the boxer as Toji stepped away. 

“He’s fine. Just knocked him out that’s all.”

Toji stretched his arms out before putting the sun ring around his finger. “Looks pretty good on me, don’t you think?”

“You insane fucker! There is no way in hell I would ever agree—” Iemitsu stopped as his eyes widened in terror when he heard the gun cocking behind him. He turned around and what he saw nearly made his heart stop.

Tsuna’s friends also gasped and sucked in a breath when they realized what the teen was doing. 

Tsuna was holding a gun to his own head. The gun the teen had used to fire at the Cervello was now pointed at his own temple. He smiled. So innocent and kind, as if he was merely greeting them every morning before they headed to school. 

“Listen up,” he said and that smile never left his face. “Dad, Iemitsu, head of CEDEF and whatever title you go by. It looks like I won’t be getting out of this mess so easily...”

Xanxus refused his deal. Not because the man didn’t like the terms but because he needed a proper ascension on red carpets and confettis to the throne. He wanted acknowledgement. And Nono said a fight was the way to earn it.

Now, Toji has something planned. He has something that he needed the ring of the sun to do. Tsuna doesn’t know what it was exactly but he trusts Toji. 

So he will do his part to make sure the man keeps that ring. 

“If anything happens to Toji-san before this idiotic battle is over,” Tsuna declared to his father in a steady tone. “You can prepare my funeral too. Go ahead and put a crown on the corpse if you like.”

“Tsuna, put the gun down.” Reborn approached him carefully, with both hands raised in front of him and he spoke slow. As if he was afraid it would spook Tsuna into an accidental slip of his fingers.

“No,” he refused but he was still smiling. And it was the brightest and most cheerful one Reborn has ever seen on Tsuna. “It looks like this is the only way to ever get you people to listen to me anyways.”

Iemitsu clenched his fist but he waved his hand and the men dispersed. The red dots of laser lights were also gone. He looked tired, like a deflated balloon and his back had a slight curve to it, no longer as straight as a ruler. “Is he really that important to you? That you’d be willing to throw away your life for his?”

“If you’re all going to make me do this, then Toji-san stays.”

“This man...” Iemitsu was still struggling. He didn’t trust Toji the slightest. “He is a killer, a liar, and he cares for nothing but himself. He is manipulating you, son. Whatever lies he told you...that is not love.”

He took a step towards Tsuna, and then another. Like a desperate father trying to regain his lost child being torn from his side by a storm.

For a brief second, Tsuna wondered what the man knew about love. He left his family alone for so many years and now he wanted his son to carry on a mantle made of feuds and skeletons. So who was he to tell him what love looked like?

What was love?

Was it like what was between his parents? To lie to someone continuously about everything you do? Drown in a fantasy and ignoring the inconsistencies in the other’s words? Was it like between Reborn and Bianchi? To be aloof while the other fawned over you in a smoke of gunpowder and blood? To be like Yuu? Who knew the risks and the pain, and stayed?

What was love?

Tsuna doesn’t know. 

He shoved the gun harder against his temple, which made everyone stop breathing and froze in their spots. Everyone except Toji. The man walked closer and stood in front of Tsuna with such happiness glistening in those emerald orbs. 

“Toji-san.” Tsuna didn’t remove the gun from his head. 

“Yeah?”

“Do you love me?”

Toji laughed hysterically. He took the box of rings from Tsuna’s other hand and took out the sky ring. The man got down on one knee as he placed it upon Tsuna’s left ring finger.

“I love you.” Toji’s words were careless and frivolous. They seemed to carry no weight at all, not even as he planted a kiss on the ring. But only Tsuna could see how wide the man’s grin was. “Boss.”

And Tsuna set the gun down. He looked up at his father, at Reborn, and at his friends. They looked both horrified and relieved. Good, because that was what Tsuna wanted.

They were going to listen to him one way or another. They were going to do things _his_ way for once. 

“It is decided then,” Reborn announced even though he sounded like he was hosting a funeral. “The Heavenly Tyrant will be Tsuna’s Guardian of the Sun.” 

And Tsuna laughed. His laughter was like bells, ringing loud and clear against the dead of the night, against the solemn look on his father and tutor’s faces.

At that moment, he thought, maybe he could even start enjoying this.

The path he was walking was one leading to hell. Well, no one ever said he can’t lit a few fireworks along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK RANTING TIME:
> 
> So I know you guys have been speculating if Toji have flames which guardian he should be and most would guess storm/thunder (I didn't want to spoil it too soon so I didn't reply, sorry). That was my original thought too cause his actions probably fit those two more. But then I reread KHR and I started thinking...
> 
> I knew I wanted him to be a guardian and it has to be a role that I can kind of see him stick with. 
> 
> Cloud and mist has to be Hibari and Mukuro...they were already perfect for the roles and I don't see Toji fitting either descriptions. He is close to Tsuna so he won't be the cloud that floats on the outer core of the family and mist...he might be playful but he's not really an illusionist type. 
> 
> So we are left with Rain, Thunder, Sun, and Storm. Toji is a killer so he could be rain, with how he would definitely clear a battlefield but that didn't sit well with my intuition so not rain. As for thunder, the description in canon was that they "draw damage to themselves and away from the rest of the Famiglia, serving as a lightning rod"...that is not Toji in my head. His philosophy is to run from work that don't pay so I can't see him selflessly taking damage for the whole family. He might step in to help Tsuna, but only Tsuna. He won't be a very good lightning rod for Vongola as a whole.
> 
> That leaves storm and sun.
> 
> I guess he would be a good storm. With how he attacks and all it would fit him pretty good but then I read the description for the sun:
> 
> "Destroying the misfortune that attacks the Famiglia with their own body, they become the Sun that brightly shines upon an area."
> 
> Note the "BODY". 
> 
> BODY.
> 
> The sun uses their physical bodies to destroy the family's enemies. Toji has heavenly restriction. As a descendent from a clan of jujutsu sorcerer he should have had cursed energy but his heavenly restriction exchanged that for physical powers. His body is on whole different level in terms of five senses, strength, and speed. 
> 
> SPOILERS FOR JJK BELOW.
> 
> In JJK canon, Toji got killed by Gojo at the end of the Star Plasma Vessel job. But later in the series, a shaman summoned him back. But they only summoned TOJI'S BODY. So it was the shaman's consciousness/soul inside and controlling Toji's body but Toji took over.
> 
> Toji's consciousness took over.
> 
> The shaman didn't even summon his soul back from hell but the shaman still lost control to Toji. This proves that Toji's body is indeed something very special. Plus, this is a man that can run on water without any aid, beat up special grade cursed spirits with only one weapon in hand, and he killed Gojo (once). 
> 
> Back to KHR. "Destroying the misfortune that attacks the Famiglia with their own body, they become the Sun that brightly shines upon an area." That is the sun. The main thing for the sun is their bodies. Fuck it, if this isn't perfect for Toji I don't know what is. 
> 
> Also, this is what is written on the wiki page: "The Activation characteristic of Sun Flames has the power to induce and improve the efficiency of any type of activity. It can increase the rate of blood flow and cell regeneration, making it optimal for support roles such as healing and strengthening individuals. Sun Flames can also stimulate muscles and joints, increasing the user's body functions drastically."
> 
> Holy shit, can you all imagine Toji + something that resembled a reverse technique (weaken ver.)? If this monster of a man can heal himself after he took damages and can also increase his already inhuman body functions...YES! THIS IS IT! 
> 
> Also, I kind of feel like it would be perfect for Tsuna and Toji's relationship. I also took inspiration from Alan Walker's Unity -> "You are my symphony. By your side, we are unity. You are my energy, my guiding light. We are unity" this part hit me hard when I was writing.


	32. Ring Battles - 1

31

Normally Xanxus would have no interest in other people’s battles. This was a pointless and idiotic fight to begin with anyways. A mockery and insult even. 

The Ninth...that old fool actually believed a bunch of children could defeat him? Defeat the Varia?

They weren’t the elite for nothing. 

Even if he was sealed away for eight years, every single one of his higher officers left a trail of blood and bones as they moved up the ranks. They trained and killed, they were the best of the best. The feared and the personification of death and destruction. 

Children stood no chance against them.

But their enemies weren’t all children.

He sent Squalo to get the rings from Iemitsu’s disciple when he heard the joke that all of the tenth generation were teenagers and children. Most of them weren’t even mafia children...worse, they were civilians. So it should have been an easy job. The only problem was the CEDEF trash was a slimy one and knew how to run. 

But Squalo came back injured. The wounds weren’t deep but whoever it was would have to be quite skilled to land a hit on Xanxus’s second in command.

The swordsman said it was a man with a scar on his mouth that had done this to him. A skilled fighter that he would like to exchange swords with again.

So Xanxus sent Mammon out to spy. To steal information from the CEDEF. But even Iemitsu didn’t have much on this man. The Heavenly Tyrant was his code name and his threat level was labelled as “severe”.

Now, Xanxus was a little intrigued. 

The rings were fake so his team set out for Japan. In that quiet town of the loser kid his joke of a father had chosen, he met the Heavenly Tyrant. The man that shot at him had dark hair and green eyes. There was a scar on his mouth.

And one look, that was all Xanxus needed. 

This was a man that was just as twisted and dark as they were. He was no saint or normal man. The madness behind those emerald eyes was something Xanxus had seen in the mirror everyday, in a lot of the people he had interacted with too. This was not someone the old bum or Iemitsu would have chosen as the next guardian.

So, what was wrong? 

Then the brown haired trash had the audacity to try and make him a deal. 

“A deal?” Xanxus repeated and he studied the teen. “What can lousy trash like you possibly have to offer?”

The teen was both what he expected and not. He looked soft and timid. A normal kid that had never seen more blood than what you would get from a paper cut. His eyes held too much wonder and light that signalled he didn’t live on the dark side like they do. But at the same time, he was dissociated and capricious. His body language was too free and relaxed in face of danger even as Xanxus directed his intent to kill upon him. He sensed it and he wasn’t worried. Now that was a sort of insult to Xanxus. 

And Sawada Tsunayoshi had courage. 

He made his bargain. It was enticing too. It would save Xanxus so much time. But Xanxus didn’t agree right away. He had no idea who the Zenins were. Normally he wouldn’t care, they would crush the enemy either way but somehow, his intuition told him no. He mustn’t make any hasty decisions. 

Then the Ninth’s order came. Xanxus sort of knew this was coming, yet when he saw the small fonts on the scroll he still cursed that blasted old man again. The Ninth had prearranged for the message about the battle to be spread within the family and its allies. 

Which meant at least some of the things had to follow tradition and they had to go through the process, even if it was just for formalities. So Sawada and his guardians have to meet them on the battlefield whether they like it or not.

Although, he will admit that the files on Sawada were garbage. There was fire burning in this boy’s words, spite and frustration gave him quite a poisonous tongue. If this constituted as pathetic and no backbone, Xanxus was going to make his own spies eat the reports they wrote. 

They weren’t needed anymore, not until the battle started tomorrow night. So Xanxus left Mammon to spy. He didn’t think that Heavenly Tyrant was standing beside Sawada just out of coincidence. 

Mammon’s report made him spill his wine though. 

That man...the Heavenly Tyrant and the one Sawada called “Toji-san”, he was Iemitsu’s target. The Ninth had given the Young Lion an extermination order. 

The old man rarely did that anymore. Not even to a lot of restless famiglias. 

Was he such an immediate threat? Now that was someone Xanxus could use in Varia. 

“I’m not done yet, Boss.” The baby sat down across from Xanxus. Mammon looked hesitant, even if Xanxus could only see their tiny mouth. 

“There’s...probably something else you need to know.”

“What is it?”

“That man...is dating Sawada Tsunayoshi?” the Arcobaleno sounded unsure. They told Xanxus about how Sawada had literally held a gun to his own head to threaten his father for Toji. How the man got down on one knee and used the Vongola’s sky ring to propose. “...That is all I have to report,” Mammon finished. “I feel like I deserve some compensation for my psychological well being.”

Squalo opened his mouth but closed it again. The silver haired swordsman probably didn’t know what to say either since the most perverted of them was Lussuria and his obsession with dead bodies or Bel's manic episodes with blood. 

Xanxus remained silent. He didn’t know if he should laugh or be mad. He was mad that the two used the Vongola rings for such a silly matter. That was the boss’s ring and they used it in a proposal? For a declaration of undying love? 

If Xanxus had been there he would have put a few holes in the lovebirds right that instant.

But he also wanted to laugh because the Ninth chose a lovestruck teenager over his charity case son. Being in love was fine, Sawada was a teen, it made sense to have a crush or two. Yet, Sawada chose a killer. He chose an insane man that was probably not much more peaceful than Xanxus was. 

He now knew where that unease came from when he first saw Sawada Tsunayoshi. He had been groomed. And he was tainted by that same insanity too. This was a child that wouldn't hesitate to burn all of Vongola down if his lover said so. The old fool thought he could find a successor of peace yet he picked the worst of them all! 

“That guy is the sun?” 

Mammon nodded. 

“Tomorrow is the sun fight, right? I’m going too.”

“...Boss?” Squalo sounded shocked and Mammon turned to look at them as if someone had turned all their uniforms pink. 

Annoyed, Xanxus threw his wine glass at the swordsman and picked up his jacket. “Shut up, trash. I’m going.”

He didn’t care about love or what the man was to Sawada. But he would check out just how good the Heavenly Tyrant was to get an elimination order from the Ninth for himself. 

#

Tsuna was back in his bedroom at the Sawada house. 

He wished everything that happened last night was an unpleasant dream but when he looked down, the sky ring was on his left hand. It glistened against the morning’s sun and its shimmer hurt Tsuna’s eyes.

It was beautiful. Intricate and probably expensive too.

But it was a burden Tsuna didn’t want.

“Iemitsu and Basil left to gather information.” Reborn stood by his door. His gaze landed on the ring and there was a weird mix of emotions across his face before he said, “Don’t you think you should wear it on a different finger? I have a chain here too if you want to wear it around your neck.”

To which, Tsuna only laughed. “I think it is just fine where it is. Besides, so long as I am wearing it, does the finger it’s on really matter?”

Reborn lowered his hand that was holding the necklace chain. “Iemitsu gave you the ring because he thinks that you are worthy to be the successor.”

“Worthy and if I want it or not are two different things. I think I should thank you though.” Tsuna finished getting changed into his school uniform and he smiled at the hitman. “Thank you for standing up to my dad and objecting to killing Toji-san. I don’t really care what your motive was but at least you said something.”

“Would you really have pulled the trigger if Iemitsu followed through with his plan?”

Tsuna gently caressed the ring. If this wasn’t the Vongola ring, he might be happier but this would have to do for now. “Totally. Until death do us apart right?”

And he left without ever turning around to check what Reborn’s reaction was. 

Tsuna felt oddly calm. He opened the front door to his house while humming a soft tune. He had enough. All these conning games and tricks...the staged obstacles and trials of friendship? He had enough.

“Tsuna.” Yamamoto and Gokudera were standing at the crossroad, waiting for him. 

“Good morning,” Tsuna smiled at them, which seemed to both surprise and irritated his friends. They both saw the ring on his hand but neither said anything. 

Gokudera came up to him and held out his hand. “Tsuna, please give me the storm ring.”

That made Tsuna halt in his steps. He stared at the silver haired teen but he couldn’t tell if Gokudera was joking. “...Are you sure, Gokudera-kun?”

Taking the ring meant they agreed to fight in a battle of life and death with Vaira. They didn’t have to do that. Tsuna already asked them for the rings back and they shouldn’t need to get involved with this mess any longer. 

“Yes, I am. If that guy can be your sun, I can be a thousand times better of a storm!” 

“I don’t really get the situation we are in right now. But it looks like we’re still fighting a team battle aren’t we?” Yamamoto joined in as he placed a hand on Tsuna’s shoulder. “So just you and that guy won’t be enough. This is our battle isn’t it? Let’s win this together.”

“Yamamoto-kun...” Tsuna didn’t know if he should yell at these idiots or not. They were acting exactly like Toji had predicted and it was both heartwarming and utterly infuriating. 

Toji’s plan was simple. 

_“They want a fight right? So we give it to them,” Toji had explained after they parted from the group last night. “Forfeiting all the battles would be easy but then we lose the bargaining chip against Xanxus. So we need to win. There are six guardian battles but we don’t need to win all of it to gain the upper hand. I will take care of one and the rest can be rigged.”_

_“Rigged?”_

_“Fly heads.” Toji pointed to the cursed spirit around his arm. “Your friends probably won’t back down from a fight so easily. They will come asking for their rings back so we release fly heads on the opponents during their fights. It would look like Varia fucked up by themselves. They can’t say we did anything since they can’t see cursed spirits either.”_

_Tsuna didn’t know what to say. He could only stare at the man with an opened mouth. The fights would look like a joke but it was true. No one can say a thing so long as they win._

_“But we’re going to have to forfeit the lightning battle. That cow kid won’t last five seconds even if there was a miracle from Jesus singing down on him. Then after we won we can go back to Xanxus with the same deal. This time, you’d be making the deal as the official heir approved by the judges appointed by the Ninth. You are Vongola. And if Xanxus refuses, we can also threaten to remove his position as head of Varia.”_

Tsuna had said then that he didn’t want to see his friends come back as guardians. They shouldn’t be fighting assassins for crying out loud. They were a bunch of teenagers. But Toji only placed a hand on the teen’s head and he asked, _“Tsuna, what do you hate the most about your dad?”_

_“He is trying to push me to do things I don’t want to.”_

_“Exactly. So don’t be like him. Don’t decide things for your friends either. It’s fine if they don’t come asking you for a chance to fight, we’ll just get some for hire shamans to do it. But that should be those brat’s decisions to make.”_

That was why Tsuna couldn’t refuse as both Yamamoto and Gokudera extended their opened palms out in front of him. He handed over the rings of the rain and the storm. 

But a small part of him knew that he would jump in if things go bad. Fuck the rules and traditions, fuck the one-on-ones. If things started looking bad, no one in the Varia was getting out of it in one piece. He would bet his life on it. 

Worst case scenario was that both sides died. No heir left. No victor. 

And Vongola can sink in hell.

School was relatively uneventful. Gokudera skipped because he wanted to train some more and Yamamoto was his usual self. Tsuna saw Ryohei once and the boxer only wished them luck.

“I lost so I can’t complain,” he said sheepishly. “Master Colonnello isn’t too happy about it but I will train harder and I definitely want a rematch with Toji!”

Tsuna didn’t realize the blond Arcobaleno was involved too. But it was good that Ryohei seemed to take his defeat well. 

That night, they gathered in front of the school again. Ryohei still showed up and so did Colonnello. The toddler in a camouflage soldier’s uniform cocked his gun as he stood on Ryohei’s shoulder. 

“I came to check out the man that defeated my disciple.” His eyes landed on Toji, who was in his work clothing. The tight short sleeve black shirt and baggy pants. “I can see why Ryohei lost.”

“You’ve got pretty good eyes then,” Toji complimented. “Looks like the party’s starting too.”

He mentioned to the twin girls coming towards them and Varia members that were following close. Xanxus was with them and his gaze met Tsuna’s for a second. There was a cold hatred and despise in those sharp eyes of his. Somehow, Tsuna felt like the man had some very passionate and foul words to say about which finger the teen had decided to wear the ring on. 

The girls stood in front of them and one of them announced, “Thank you for gathering. The first match shall be between the Guardians of the sun.” 

Toji was going first then. The man whistled as he bounced up and down a bit as a warm up. 

“Please look over there,” the Cervellos said in their monotone. 

There was a boxing ring in the center of the field. It had wires and metal bars on all sides so it looked more like a cage than anything else.

A cage fight.

How barbaric.

Toji was going to love this.

The Cervellos finished their introduction. They were really starting to feel like robotic clones to Tsuna. All the same physical features and their clothing were similar as well. 

Varia’s guardian of the sun was the man in sunglasses and a fur collar. His hair was dyed in a bright color and he entered the ring while the rest of his team urged him to finish the fight fast.

In response, Tsuna smiled. “Toji-san, don’t kill him.”

His words successfully got him a few nasty glares from the other side. Well, if he and his friends were being forced to participate in this stupid fight, he was going to be as much of a nuisance to their opponents as he could out of spite. Too bad his dad wasn’t here, he had such good scripts planned too. 

“Got it.” Toji patted him on the head with a grin.

Then the two guardians of the sun were standing face to face with the rings hanging around their necks.

“Oh? I thought my opponent was going to be a teenager?” Lussuria had his pinky on his lips as he tilted his head to the side. It was not a gesture you’d see on the majority of men. “Never mind. Oh dear! I was thinking this before but from up close I know it for sure! Your body looks mighty fine! And you’re totally my type!”

“Too bad,” Toji replied easily, completely unfazed by the enemy’s sudden passionate declaration. “You’re not really mine.”

But Lussuria was drowning in his own pink bubbles. “I’m sooo taking you home!”

Outside the ring, the Varia members didn’t look surprised at the man’s weird speech. But on Tsuna’s side, Gokudera and Yamamoto had sweat running down their foreheads. 

“What...did he just say?”

“He said he liked Toji-san’s body and he would like to take him home.” Tsuna yawned. Seriously why set a fight for 11PM? On a school night nonetheless. 

Gokudera turned to him with a frown. “And you’re okay with that?”

“...I’ve heard worse? It’s just trash talk before a fight to rile up your enemy.”

Even if it wasn’t, Tsuna has heard worse. There were some weird collectors within the shaman population. Instead of insects, they collected eyes or organs, carved hanging racks out of bones, and made books with human skin.

Lussuria was a muay thai martial artist. He has got a good amount of muscles and his stance was perfect. It didn’t surprise Reborn.

The baby hitman was sitting on Yamamoto’s shoulder. “The past guardians of the sun all had a very strong fist or foot. Destroying the misfortunes that attack the family with their own bodies, that is the duty of the sun.”

_Body…?_

“Reborn,” Tsuna asked. “Is that common knowledge within the mafia?”

“Yes, it is.” 

That must be why Toji chose the sun then. There was no better position.

Suddenly, the entire boxing ring started to glow. Not just glow. It was radiating. The light was so blinding, Tsuna had to put an arm over his eyes. Reborn handed them all sunglasses and Tsuna could finally see something.

There was no way anyone could open their eyes in that ring without some amount of eye protection. Which was why Lussuria attacked first. He was wearing shades and he tried to knee Toji in the stomach, only to get blocked. 

“Oh? You’re pretty good aren’t you?” Lussuria mused. “But your stance...you don’t have a particular style of fighting do you?”

He was right. Toji’s stance was too loose. Taichi, muay thai, tawkendo, or any other martial art styles...he didn’t stick to a particular fighting style because his training was against cursed spirits and shamans.

The man let out a shallow breath with his eyes closed. He was smiling.

“Hey!” Ryohei yelled. “Isn’t that unfair? We should give Toji some shades too.”

But the judges did not budge. “We will not allow any contact with the contestants. Any sort of those actions will result in disqualification.” 

“Tsuna, you’re not worried?” Yamamoto asked quietly. 

Tsuna tilted his head to the side as he thought. “It’s fine. This isn’t enough to cause a problem.”

On the field, Lussuria continued to share his philosophy of beauty. “My taste in the ultimate beauty of a body is a cold, deteriorated, and inanimate one. I will turn you into one soon.”

“Ha.” Toji stood up straight and he lifted a grin. “Go ahead and try.”

And they started exchanging blows. Even if Toji couldn’t see, he was keeping up. Humans leave other traces behind after all. Footsteps, scent, the disruption in the flow of air as they moved...all of it could be tracked. It wasn’t until one of Toji’s punches caused the other man to fly into the air that Tsuna felt something was wrong.

“Lussuria is still playing, isn’t he?” the blond with a crown said. 

_Ah…_

So both sides weren’t giving it their all yet. 

Lussuria’s knee came in contact with Toji’s fist and all of them heard a sound that wasn’t supposed to be there. A dull but crisp sound. 

Toji stopped for a second as he shook his hand. HIs knuckles were slightly pink. “That feeling...you’ve got metal on you?”

Lussuria landed back on the ground and his lips twitched. “My left leg is a metal knee and it has a plate. More importantly, how are you fine? You smashed your fist into it at full force!”

Disbelief filled his high pitched voice. And they all saw the thick metal plate around the martial artist’s knee that was originally covered by a sheet of fabric. 

“Too bad for you. My body is special,” Toji purred and he advanced. His speed increased despite the heat and dehydration. 

“No, no! That just means I must have you for my corpse collection even more!” He sounded excited as he dodged the punches. It was almost as if there were multiple Lussurias inside the ring. This man sure has amazing footwork.

But none of that mattered if he can’t hit.

Lussuria was a good fighter. He was a professional with the highest quality. But so was Toji. And if there was one thing Tsuna knew about what people say about the notorious Sorcerer Killer, was that he was a despicable man.

Not for his personality...but for how he planned his kills. He lured, tricked, and did everything he needed before he made a fatal blow. That was why he was efficient, why he survived against so many shamans before. And now, the time was coming.

The two contestants for the ring of the sun danced inside the blazing field of light. Kicks and punches were exchanged and both narrowly scraped by the ropes on the side. It singed their clothes a little. The Cervello must be running a current through them to get it heated too. 

Lussuria came in with his left knee high while Toji threw a punch at full force. Everyone expected them to clash, and the victor shall be the one that powered through. Which side will come out triumphant? It was only going to end in two ways, one with the metal shattered and one with Toji’s hand ruined.

But Tsuna knew there was a third option.

Toji’s body went limp during the second before the two came in contact and his whole body went low, pressing close to the ground. Blood spilled from Lussuria’s chest. There was gash coming down from his right shoulder down to his left abdomen. 

“You—” Lussuria’s voice was strained as he tried to prevent the blood loss. 

“I never said I don’t use weapons did I?” Toji straightened himself out and everyone could see the sword in his hand. “I just happen to be good with my fists too.”

“Where did the sword come from?”

“I had it on me since the start.” The black haired man shoved it back into the cursed spirit tangled upon his waist. “That’s not cheating is it?”

The Cervello girls were silent for a moment before they shook their heads. “No. Since no one gave you that sword during the fight, no rules had been broken.”

“Hear that?” Toji smiled. “Now, hand over the ring.”

“No! I don’t want to!” Lussuria yelled and his face was pale. He got up despite how his body was shaking. Red had pooled at his feet. “Even with a wound like this, I can still fight! I will win!”

Something was off. Tsuna didn’t think it was persistence or loyalty driving the martial artist.

And his suspicion was quickly confirmed by the bullets driving into Lussuria’s back. The largest Varia member with the hazard mask had shot at his own ally.

“What’s going on?” Gokudera asked and his cigarette had fallen on the ground.

“Erasing the weak,” Reborn explained with a blank expression. “That is one of the reasons why Varia is the strongest.” 

“Erasing the weak?” Toji scratched his chin as the lights shut off. He opened his eyes and saw the bloody mess in front of him but whistled nonchalantly. “Now that’s something the old geezers would jump on board with within a heartbeat.”

“Toji-san,” Tsuna grumbled as he threw a water bottle but the man only caught it with a smile. 

“Lussuria is unable to battle,” the Cervellos announced. “So the winner of the fight for the ring of the sun is the Heavenly Tyrant.”

They won. But none of Tsuna’s friends looked excited. They were all shocked by the cruelty in front of them. Varia had turned on their own right when they became weak, became a liability.

“Trash,” Xanxus spat as he turned away. His gaze never landed on Lussuria’s bleeding form as he did so.

Tsuna supposed he was supposed to feel pity for the muay thai artist. And a part of him does. But he knew very well that Lussuria would encounter this fate no matter what. The only way he could possibly escape it was if he defeated Toji...and that meant Toji would be dead.

Tsuna won’t have that. 

“Tomorrow’s fight will be between the Thunder Guardians,” said the Cervello as the boxing ring disassembled itself. 

And that pulled Tsuna out of his thoughts. He looked down at Lambo, who Reborn had insisted they take with them since he was a guardian as well. They were going to forfeit tomorrow’s fight.

That would make them tie with Varia at one win and one lost. 

Toji was laughing softly besides him. Tsuna knew what the man was thinking. They should probably start prepping for how to rig the third fight now. 

He held the man’s sweaty hand in his as they walked towards his house. Tsuna was sort of worried about the Cervello. They were quite strict on the rules even if the rules were inhuman. It was alright though. They would get through this one way or another. 

Because there was no way Tsuna was ever going to let a child on a battlefield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hundred percent stand behind the belief that Toji could punch metal at full force and be fine with it. Itadori (JJK's protagonist) punched through a wall and he can throw a car like a projectile weapon while Maki (a girl from the Zenin family and has a weaker Heavenly Restriction) can catch a bullet with her bare hands...there's no way Toji can't do the same.
> 
> Also, Lussuria knew Toji can use a sword but since Toji wasn't carrying one when he entered the ring, they all assumed it was going to be a battle of pure brawn. The sun guardian's role had always been fist or feet fights, it's very easy for the human minds to fall into the same assumptions.


	33. Ring Battles - 2

32

The battle between the thunder guardians was not one Reborn had confidence in. The idiot cow was a real toddler in both mind and body. He was no child prodigy and was an overall crybaby. 

But Iemitsu believed he had potential and Reborn couldn’t disagree. While the Bovino family wasn’t a very strong group, their advances in technology and the electrico cuoio made them quite persistent in mafia history. 

Lambo...if he had been a few years older, he might be a wonderful personification of everything thel thunder guardian stood for but sending him to fight right now...Reborn still had his doubts. They would have to rely on the ten year bazooka immensely. 

The night of the fight for the ring of lightning rained as if the heavens were weeping. 

“Don’t worry Tsuna, if anything happens we will jump in,” Yamamoto said as they gathered at Namimori middle. 

But his encouraging words got put down almost immediately by the Cervellos. “Actions like that will result in disqualification for both the one that was saved and the one that interrupted.”

“Damn it!” Gokudera looked annoyed.

Tsuna wasn’t surprised. The girls had stated the same thing during the sun fight. 

Pillars were set up around the roof as the rain poured. A battleground of Electrico Circutio, was what the Cervello had named it. Lightning struck the rods on the side and the floor lit up with the dispersed electricity. Stepping in there guaranteed electrocution. 

“We are withdrawing this fight.” Tsuna picked Lambo off the ground while Toji held the umbrella over their heads. “Lambo’s not fighting!”

Reborn sighed. He knew it. Although he can’t say he wasn’t pleased, he knew Tsuna would pick the welfare of his friends over victory. 

That was what made him Tsuna. 

He expected the Cervello to confiscate the ring and they could all get out of the rain, but Lambo started acting up. 

“Lambo-sama wants to do that!”

The child didn’t understand the situation. He thought this was a game. 

“Wait, Lambo!” Tsuna tried to grab him but the water from the rain made his hands slip. “It’s dangerous! You could die.”

“Lambo-sama can’t die because he is invincible! I want to go!” The kid was running in circles and whining. He stomped and threw a fit, splashing water everywhere while the Cervello and Varia watched. 

“The lightning guardian has expressed his desire to participate in the battle. Please enter the ring,” one of the girls said. “Your opponent has been waiting for two hours.”

Tsuna stood in front of her and he crossed his arms over his chest. “I said, we are not doing this. Mafia or not, there is something seriously messed up if you all think it is alright to put a kid this young on the battlefield.”

His voice was rigid and cold. The teen wasn’t going to back down and the green eyed man behind him looked like he was itching for blood too. 

“The guardian has not objected.”

“The Vongola rings,” Tsuna said in a low voice as he closed his eyes, “and the succession to the Vongola’s thorne, no matter how they are said to be...I won’t fight for that kind of thing.”

His words surprised the Varia members and Iemitsu looked concerned. Reborn would be too because if he knew Tsuna, the teen was going to go on about how he didn’t want any part of the mafia.

But to their surprise, when Tsuna opened his eyes, the dying will flame was burning bright on his forehead.

Orange flames lit up the night sky. It was not a flicker or an ember, instead, the teen’s hands were both covered in a steady output of flames as well. Reborn felt his mouth hanging open. He didn’t think Tsuna would be able to enter the dying will mode on his own so soon, without aid too.

_Was this so important to him? To prevent a child from fighting or risking their life? That it was enough to drive out a dying will?_

Tsuna slashed his hand across the air in front of him and the Cervello jumped back. There was a graze of black burn marks on the ground.

“That amount of flames...” Belphegor’s smile disappeared. “Idiot long hair, you didn’t mention anything like this before.”

The Cervellos also looked unsure.

Tsuna took in a breath. “Vongola and everything it stood for is pointless to me. So I sure as hell don’t want to lose any friends to something so meaningless. Take the thunder ring and call it a night.” 

The pink haired girl closest to Tsuna took a step back. The left side of her hair had been chopped off. Pink locks fell onto the ground and got damp by the water. 

“You might want to think again,” Toji threatened softly. “Tsuna is the boss right? He said no.”

“If you continue to threaten us, the Cervello...then we shall consider that as a challenge to the Ninth’s authority and confiscate your rings.”

This was not going to end well.

Reborn thinks he should interfere before things escalate but then he feels another presence near them, and the Varias must have felt it too. There was someone standing on the fence at the edge of the roof. It was as if he had descended down from the heavens because Reborn certainly hadn’t seen him come up any other way. 

He was tall, with long legs and he was in a fully black uniform with buttons that were engraved with a spiral pattern. It looked like a highschool uniform but not one that came from the vicinity. The newcomer’s hair was white and he wore a pair of round sunglasses even though it was night time. There was an umbrella in his hand. 

“Hey, Tsunayoshi!” he greeted with a smile. 

Tsuna looked surprised. “Gojo-san? What are you doing here?”

_Gojo?_

Reborn felt like he heard that name before.

The Cervello moved towards the strange teen. “Outsiders aren’t allowed in here.”

But the teen ignored her as he moved down from the fence. 

“It sounded like you guys are doing something fun on the phone so I decided to drop by since I was near.” Gojo landed beside the brown haired teen and patted Tsuna on the shoulder. “One-on-one fights huh? Old fashioned but it never gets old. So who’s fighting tonight?”

Tsuna pointed to Lambo, who had been lifted off the ground by Toji to prevent him from running into the battleground. 

There was a pause, then Gojo pointed at the five years old too. “This kid?” 

Tsuna and Toji nodded. 

The white haired teen managed a lopsided smile but it wasn’t one from joy. He leaned down and attempted to whisper (attempted because everyone could still hear him without even trying) beside Tsuna’s ear, “Is he strong? Have some special powers that I can’t see, which I highly doubt?”

“Nope. Lambo is just a kid.”

“A real kid?”

“Yes.”

“Which idiot chose him to fight?”

Tsuna groaned as he hid his face in his palms. “That would be my dad.”

Gojo hooked his arm around Tsuna’s shoulder sympathetically. 

“You mean the blond over there right?” He mentioned with his thumb at Iemitsu, who had come up the stairs with Basil. The head of CEDEF looked confused to see a stranger here and that was expected. His team had been deployed to keep the normal folks and anyone that tried to interfere with the fights out. 

“Tell you what, I don’t like him. If you still want to give him a piece of your mind, I can help.”

Something told Reborn that his way wouldn’t involve regular pranks such as tripping Iemitsu or dying his hair green. Iemitsu also eyed Gojo suspiciously. 

“Voi! Who are you?” Squalo shouted from the other side of the roof. The Varia’s second in command was wearing a raincoat but the sword had appeared on his left hand. He would attack if Gojo decided to interfere with the battles. 

“My name’s Gojo Satoru,” the teen answered and his eyes landed on Mammon. Scratching his chin, the teen glanced back and forth between the two Arcobalenos on the roof. His eyes were the most striking blue Reborn has ever seen. The color was like that of a gem’s glistening yet frigid, like glaciers. It was something surreal and eerie as he stared into those eyes. “Well, look at what we have here? You two are under quite a troublesome curse aren’t you?”

His words made both Mammon and Reborn’s heart skip a beat.

“Hey you—” Mammon started but Reborn cut them off.

“You’re a shaman?” Reborn asked. Gojo...yes, that was one of the names that popped up in Reborn’s search when he was researching Toji. The Gojos were well known in the world of the shamans and they had rejected Reborn’s request for an audience. _The curse. Does he know something about the Arcobaleno’s curse?_

“Bingo!” 

His way of speech was definitely ruder than a normal Japanese’s. This wasn’t someone that knew how to spell humble or respect in his books. Reborn wondered if all of the shamans were like this. 

However, Gojo lost interest in the baby hitman soon and turned his attention back to Tsuna. “Update me on what’s going on then.”

“We’re trying to forfeit the battle but they say the guardian himself didn’t object so the fight must go on. Those are the judges by the way.” Tsuna looked absolutely done with his life as he gestured to the Cervello. 

“I see, I see...” Gojo took off his sunglasses with one hand and placed them on Tsuna’s head, despite the other teen’s confused expression. He turned to Toji and asked, “Tsunayoshi’s side needs to win this fight?”

The man lifted a smile. “That would be the best.”

So Gojo let go of Tsuna and walked a few steps forward. He waved at the two girls with pink hair like an overly excited elementary kid. “What happens if I do this then?”

The jujutsu sorcerer stole the ring from Lambo and he was standing in the battlefield before the Cervellos could react. He stood across from Levi as he studied the ring between his fingers.

“Wait, what are you—” Iemitsu held out his hand to stop him.

“I am holding the ring and standing inside of the fighting ground so technically that means I am the Thunder or whatever right now doesn’t it?” He flashed all of them a smile that was too bright and carefree for someone that had just signed up for a battle of life and death. 

“You don’t really have to do this, Gojo-san.” Tsuna tried going after him but Toji stopped him by pulling him back by his waist.

“Let the Gojo’s boy do what he wants,” Toji said as he pulled Tsuna tighter into his chest. “It saves us a lot of work too.”

“Don’t worry, Tsuna. I’m the strongest.” Gojo bent down and stretched his legs out. “All I gotta do is put that rough looking old man out of commission right?”

“Who are you calling ‘rough looking’?” Levi pulled his weapons out as his eyebrows knitted together. “I don’t care if my opponent is that kid or you, I will crush you both to show Boss that I am the most suited to be the Lightning guardian.”

“The Varia does not object to the switch. Sawada Tsunayoshi, do you approve of Gojo Satoru to act as your Lighting guardian?” the Cervello questioned.

Tsuna sighed and he started sulking. The flames also vanished from his body. “Sure, why not? Life can get more fucked up so let’s just get this over with.”

“Then the battle for the ring of lightning, Levi A Than VS Gojo Satoru shall commence.”

And they started. Levi came charging at Gojo just as multiple lightning struck the rods. In a flash of lights, the whole battlefield lit up for a moment. The Varia officer’s choice of weapons looked like a hybrid of an umbrella and a sword. He used it to slash at Gojo and Reborn was sure Levi landed direct hits even in the field of blinding lights. 

But when the electricity faded, the white haired teen still stood tall and without a scratch. 

Electricity crackled around them. Levi jumped back a few feet as he assessed his opponent. 

Belphegor laughed and there was some form of confusion in his voice. “Levi hit didn’t he?”

His teammates didn’t answer him. 

“To put it simply, he didn’t hit. What he hit was infinity.” Gojo swatted at the air in front of him to disperse the dust. “There’s still the whole agreement thing and I don’t really want to get another lecture, so I won’t reveal my technique. Come at me with all you got, old man.”

Veins popped along Levi’s forehead and he was about to try again. 

“You’re not wet.” Levi stopped in his tracks. “The rain isn’t getting to you neither is the thunder.”

Everyone’s eyes landed on Gojo as he said that.

Gojo hummed as he stuck his hands in his pockets. “You’re pretty quick at catching on. I guess you’re not as dumb as you look.”

It was true. The teen’s white hair looked dried and his clothing wasn't even a bit wet even though he was standing in the pouring rain. He had discarded his umbrella before he entered the field...yet he wasn’t wet at all.

“A defensive ability?” Reborn looked at his student but Toji clasped a hand over Tsuna’s mouth and placed a finger to his own lips. The hitman knew they weren’t going to get answers from the two then.

But from the looks of it...it was a fitting ability for a thunder guardian. Their role was to take the lightning and divert the damage away from the family. If Gojo could nullify the attacks, then he could take on the role. 

The Vaira must be thinking the same thing. Because Levi’s muscles tensed. “The one that will fulfill the role of the Thunder guardian and get the most praises from the boss is me!”

Umbrellas shot out from behind him and circled into the air around Gojo. They became charged with electricity. Lights cracked through the air, linking all the umbrellas as the voltage amplified. 

“What the heck are those?” Gokudera shouted. 

And the umbrellas discharged.

All that electricity, all that power descended down upon Gojo in a fiery blaze of blinding lights. 

“There’s no way to dodge this attack,” Mammon commented. “The umbrellas cover all angles and they discharge simultaneously. Even if that guy has a defensive mechanism, he would be fried.”

“I wish the boss could see this light.” Levi also looked confident as the high amount of electricity crashed into Gojo. “Die.”

It wasn’t just the attack from Levi they had to worry about too. The ground, that was tampered with conducting material, discharged as well as the lightning struck. The whole field was one electrical barbeque grill.

But to all of their surprise, a lazy sound came from the center of the lights. 

“This light sure is pretty. But guess it’s my turn now.”

“What?” Levi turned around as shock painted his face. 

The white haired teen on the battlefield lifted his hand and he muttered, “Red.”

The lightning and electricity dispersed...no, they were repelled to be exact. And Gojo was standing there, alive and kicking with a smile on his face. 

“Incredible,” even Iemitsu had to admit that.

Gojo Satoru...these shamans put up more of a fight than Reborn ever have thought. He had visited many self proclaimed prophets and witches in the past in search of a way to break his curse, but none of them were on this level. 

This was true sorcery.

“I will kill you no matter what!” Levi came running with his weapon raised. “Watch as I fry your heart directly!”

The white haired teen raised his hand in front of him to block. Reborn saw it then. The tip of Levi’s weapon stopped just before it touched Gojo’s skin, as if it had encountered an invisible barrier.

“You like electricity that much? How about you try some for yourself?” Gojo extended his hand and they all felt the air twisted. Levi’s body got sucked back and one the lightning rods peeled off the ground. Metal bolts went flying as the lightning rod crashed into Levi. 

Electricity transferred over to Levi’s body and the man groaned as the pain shocked his tissues. But he was still standing when everything came crashing down.

“There’s no way I would lose! I am the most fitted to be the Thunder guardian!” 

“It’s not a bad thing to have dreams but I am getting kind of hungry so let’s end this.” Gojo pointed his fingers like a gun at Levi and he smiled. 

“Red.” 

There it was again, that invisible force washed across the field and roared right into Levi’s body. His umbrellas went flying then Levi’s body was blown out, passed the fence, off the roof, and flew all the way into the courtyard. They all heard a crash as they stared after the damaged fence while what was left of it creaked off its broken hinges. This power...it would be dangerous if they got hit head on. 

“He’s out of bounds does that mean he lost?” the white haired teen asked as he turned to the Cervellos. He had picked up one of Levi’s fallen umbrellas from the ground and he was playing with it. Something told Reborn that Gojo was going to beat the man unconscious with his own weapon if the Cervello said “No”. 

One of the girls jumped off the roof and soon the other announced, “Levi A Than is unable to battle. The victor of the Thunder battle is Gojo Satoru.”

“See, Tsunayoshi!” Gojo was laughing as he casted the umbrella aside casually and walked back towards them. “I told you I am the strongest!”

“Gojo-san...” Tsuna had a soft smile on his face as he came up to greet the shaman. 

Right then, Gojo forcefully pushed the other teen’s head down. Something shot past them and left a dent on the floor. They all turned around and they saw the attacker. 

“Trash,” Xanxus stood on top of the extra storage room on the side of the roof. “Are you seriously thinking of defeating me and becoming the successor by bringing all these outsiders?”

“I just don’t want to lose any friends to this battle.” Tsuna straightened himself as he stared up at Xanxus’s gloomy expression. 

Heat gathered under the assassin boss’s palms and Xanxus shoved away the Cervello that tried to get him to back down. As the girl laid unconscious on the ground, Xanxus laughed. “I finally see why that old fool chose you at first. That childish way of thinking sure makes you two peas in a pod. That kind of thinking would only ensure you taste true despair in our world...just like that damn geezer did.”

His smile was cruel and it set off alarms.

“Xanxus! What did you do to the Ninth?” Iemitsu shouted angrily and Reborn felt himself going for his own gun as well. Timoteo might not make the best of choices but he was still an old friend. 

And Vongola’s descent into madness will not do the mafia world any good. 

Xanxus only grinned. “Isn’t investigation your job? CEDEF?”

Iemitsu and Reborn had to hold themselves in. There was no proof and the ring battles were still going. They can’t touch Xanxus now.

“As for you, Sawada Tsunayoshi,” Xanxus turned to Tsuna. “I’m excited. Looks like you are not completely useless after all. Show me the strength that drew the old fool’s attention in the first place. But if you lose the subsequent ring battles...all that is the most precious to you shall perish! I will execute that as my first order as Vongola’s Tenth.”

“All that is precious?” Tsuna mumbled and his eyes looked dazed. Like he was in thought, to somewhere else. He was detached again.

The others on their side also looked shaken. Gokudera and the other teens frowned while Iemitsu and Basil were scowling. 

“Hey, hey!” Gojo waved at Xanxus as he dropped his arm around Tsuna’s shoulder. His bubbly actions also shook Tsuna back down to reality. “If this was a chess match, Tsunayoshi is supposed to be the king of our team isn’t he? So if he goes down then that means I lose. I don’t like that!” The teen’s demeanor changed to something darker and more intense as he glared up at Xanxus from underneath his long white eyelashes. And Reborn was sure they all felt it, the piercing gaze that seemed to be able to see right through any facade and lies. 

“Careful, or we might have to put your fire out early.”

Reborn heard the white haired teen say the threat in a sing-song tone. 

“Looks like we can agree on something after all.” Toji cracked a smile at that. One of his arms was still around Tsuna’s waist yet he didn’t flinch when Gojo aimed his fingers at the man’s forehead. Instead, he had that weirdly shaped dagger that he used to stab Tsuna when Reborn first met him right in front of Gojo’s Adam's apple. 

Gojo stuck out his tongue in disgust. “Don’t push your luck. I’m still thinking of killing you one day as payback, you scum.” 

“How scary.”

Reborn wondered what the feud was between the two. He could tell Gojo was absolutely serious and Toji didn’t mind making the teen bleed either. The two weren't on good terms and that was relieving news. 

But Tsuna didn’t look affected by the tension surrounding him. Instead, he smiled. That same smile Reborn had seen him wore as he pointed a gun to his own head. 

It was both endearing and alarming. 

“That is a funny thing to say, Xanxus.” The teen held his warm gaze with the assassin’s icy one without wavering. “Because it looks like we’ve got two wins on our side already. You really should be careful now, because you should at least try harder to gain the upper hand before you attempt to make a threat. Otherwise...” He stopped for a moment then tilted his head to the side and the curve of his lips was starting to look uncharacteristically voluptuous. “It would just make you look pathetic.”

The whole world was silent then. So quiet that Reborn could hear each drop of rain crashing into the floor.

“You...” Xanxus’s voice got squeezed through clenched teeth. “Trash!” 

Almost simultaneously, Xanxus exploded in a raging fit and the Varia members all grabbed out their weapons. Flames shot out of Xanxus’s guns but they were dispersed by Gojo. Belphegor’s knives crashed into Toji’s sword while Tsuna laughed as he backed away to where Gokudera and the others were standing. The other teens had come out of their shock and were prepared to fight too but Tsuna waved his hands. 

“My, my...such a short fuse. You know, Xanxus,” Tsuna said in a relaxed tone. “I am absolutely spiteful right now. I don’t want to be part of the mafia and I fucking hate all these violence. But you people keep dragging me into this mess...so tell you what, no one is getting an easy time out of this if I have to suffer. We can all burn in hell hand in hand like one big happy family.”

And he extended his arms out as he turned to smile at the Cervellos. “Go ahead, announce what is the next fight then!”

The girls were taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm but they still did their duty. “The next fight will be the battle for the storm ring.”

Hearing that, Tsuna patted Gokudera on the shoulder. His expression had reverted to something Reborn was more familiar with on the brown haired teen. Something more naive and sincere. “Gokudera-kun, winning isn’t the most important thing. Please stay safe.”

It was as if the Tsuna from a few seconds ago was nothing but an illusion. He was still Sawada Tsunayoshi, the same innocent teen with too much of a heart. 

“I-I will.” The silver haired teen stuttered but he still trusted Tsuna. 

“Well then, let’s call it a night.” Tsuna started ushering all his friends down the stairs. “Gojo-san, would you like to come over to my place for a midnight snack?”

“Sure!” The shaman followed as he dodged passed Squalo, who had attempted to hack open his side with his sword. 

“Voi! You really think we ‘re going to let you all go after what you said?” Squalo’s loud voice stopped them but strange enough, it was Xanxus who stepped in.

“Let’s go, you trash.” He turned away. “Don’t any of you dare to put on another disgraceful performance like Lussuria or Levi did, starting with you Belphegor.”

And the Varia disappeared, returning to the pitch black night where assassins belonged.

This left Iemitsu staring at his son and the shamans with an oddly painful and confused look. But he only sighed as he told Reborn he would need to go check on the Ninth back in Italy. Reborn let him go, because he knew that was an important priority. 

If the Ninth had already fallen, they would have bigger problems to deal with. 

Still, as Reborn watched the teenagers and Toji left school grounds, he couldn’t help but feel a chill inside his heart. That Tsuna...was perfect.

He was every bit of a leader Reborn could ask for. The aura, the threats...everything was on point.

But it wasn’t the Tsuna he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time choosing whose POV to do this one in.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if it looks like the power balance is more heavy on the JJK side right now. But technically Toji tricked and cheated and Gojo is Gojo...so yeah, there'd be a very OOC problem if Gojo lost to Levi.
> 
> The Arcobalenos didn't hear about the Jujutsu sorcerers before because the sorcerers tend to conceal themselves from the public and they left the mafia curses to the Vindice so there was very little knowledge of them outside of the Vindice. Most sorcerers or shamans also tend to fight inside barriers/screens that conceal themselves from normal people. While some of them do take work from the mafia, you can't really believe everyone claiming to be connected to the spirits right? A lot of fakes in the business too and the Arcobaleno's curse is probably something out of a normal shaman's league.


	34. Ring Battles - 3

33

Visiting Namimori middle wasn’t on Gojo’s schedule today but as he hovered in the air above the city, he thought he might pop by to say hi. It would be a good time to check out the Mafia too. The Jujutsu sorcerers tend to stay away from those kinds of people but Gojo had heard about an odd curse. 

The Arcobalenos.

Adults cursed to remain in an infant’s body forever. Yet they could still eat, live and walk about with the same adult minds. Now, that was a strange curse. Normally the curses would eventually kill the person being cursed or bring misfortune to those around them...but that wasn’t what was happening with the Arcobalenos. 

So he dropped himself onto the fences on the school’s roof. Gojo saw Tsunayoshi’s flames. The fires were visible this time, glowing strong against the storm as the other teen stood before two girls with pink hair and dark skin. 

His eyes found Tsunayoshi’s opponents and he knew they were a bunch with blood on their hands. They were feared. They were cursed. 

But not enough that a cursed spirit was formed. Actually, that might not be the proper way to put it...it was precisely because the Varia was so feared that no cursed spirit was formed around them.

Even in death, their enemies didn’t dare to challenge them again. Gojo laughed as he tried to focus on the two Arcobalenos on the roof. 

And his six eyes told him everything.

The rules of the world were written all over their cursed tiny bodies like chains and a binding talisman. They told of a tale of a species born long before mankind, of power that kept the balance between life on earth and evolution. But like all things, they must fade eventually. 

The earthlings’ numbers diminished and so did the earth’s power. So they chose seven human sacrifices that became the Arcobalenos. Then Gojo lost interest in the story.

It was a tragedy. A cliche story of death and desperation. 

Naturally, Gojo was unable to connect to it.

When he was born, the heavens and this world rewrote all theirs rules for him. And this curse...it was something that could only be undone by the one who casted it. It was a curse that can only be broken by the consciousness of the world itself if you must. 

And the world had already chosen its path. 

So Gojo kept his eyes on Tsunayoshi’s fire. The fire of life that would burn away all this depressing information. He didn’t plan on fighting or interfering with the mafia’s fights, Yaga would never let him hear the end of it if he did. 

But then he learned who was fighting tonight. A child. A child that would surely die was being sent on the battlefield and he could tell Tsunayoshi didn’t like that idea (Getou and their strict junior would probably feel the same thing). Gojo scanned the one who identified as Tsunayoshi’s father. He wasn’t a saint of a man that was for sure. Sawada Iemitsu didn’t kill less than the Varia. 

He also had the fire.

However, those flames were nothing like Tsunayoshi’s. They were...not as pure. Maybe it was because the adults naturally have more to consider, more responsibilities to bear and that tampered with his fire even if they appeared brighter or stronger.

And something told him Iemitsu had orchestrated this joke of a battle. 

Gojo decided then, he was going to fuck things up for the mafia big time. 

“I am holding the ring and standing inside of the fighting ground so technically that means I am the Thunder or whatever right now doesn’t it?”

Screw what the higher up will think. He wasn’t afraid of taking on the world.

Gojo Satoru was the strongest.

And he wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t do all these spontaneous stunts however he liked. Thunder? Lightning? None of that mattered. He was Gojo Satoru, the owner of the six eyes and the Limitless cursed technique. 

Although he didn't like the whole "the strong has to protect the weak" slogans, how could he call himself the strongest if he can’t even prevent one kid from dying right now?

Levi, his opponent, was a good assassin. A dedicated man with a heart filled easily with jealousy but he was good in what he did. His only downfall was that he chose to fight Gojo.

The fight ended.

And like all games, the enemy’s boss had to come out to make some threats. 

“As for you, Sawada Tsunayoshi.” That man with scars and black hair smiled down at them. “I’m excited. Looks like you are not completely useless after all. Show me the strength that drew the old fool’s attention in the first place. But if you lose the subsequent ring battles...all that is the most precious to you shall perish! I will execute that as my first order as Vongola’s Tenth.”

Xanxus? Was that his name? All Gojo saw was a walking humanoid ball of raging flames. The negativity was so strong that it made the air thicken with the same disgusting feeling as a curse. This was a man in pain. He was one that cursed the world like all the other madman Gojo had seen before. 

They wallowed in their pain and broken pride until they burnt themselves out.

So Gojo threatened him back. Curses, after all, was his specialty. No one would object if he took one out prematurely would they now? To his absolute joy, Tsunayoshi joined in. 

“It would just make you look pathetic.” As the words came out of the other teen’s mouth, Gojo’s own grin got wider. 

It was the madness that made jujutsu sorcerers shining through Tsunayoshi’s mask. It made Gojo remember the tale he heard long ago, a story of white lily and black lily. The white lily symbolizes purity and modesty while the black carried the message of a curse. 

And there was nobody that could embody both simultaneously better than Tsunayoshi.

When all was settled, Gojo tagged along to the Sawada house. Tsunayoshi’s mother, Nana, was surprised but she welcomed them with open arms. It was late, yet the housewife served them desserts and tea, believing the lie that they had just finished training for the upcoming martial arts tournament.

Toji was one of the coaches while Gojo is a senior in the club from a different school. 

“I see!” Nana clasped her hands around Toji’s as she shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you Fushiguro-sensai! Thank you for taking care of my Tsu-kun. It’s already so late. How kind of you to be escorting the kids home!”

“No, the pleasure’s all mine.” Toji smiled back at her. There was not a single trace of annoyance on his face. “Tsuna is a good kid and wonderful student. It’s my job to make sure he is safe.”

If you didn’t know his true nature, Toji looked like he sincerely believed in education and providing the youth these days a brighter future. He was the young teacher with dreams and passion. 

And he was handsome to boot.

“Hey Tsunayoshi, your mom is a little...” Gojo pointed to his own head with the spoon for the tea. The cookies in his mouth suddenly became tasteless as he watched the friendly teacher and parent conference before them. “Empty up here isn’t she?”

Tsuna sipped his tea with a faint smile. “One less person to contribute to the productions of curses.”

The white haired teen leaned his head on his palm and averted his gaze. Staring at Toji for too long was making him lose his appetite. “Ha, I guess that’s true. By the way, since I am in this mess, who is fighting tomorrow?”

“Gokudera and the Prince The Ripper—Belphegor.” Reborn was sitting beside Tsuna. “In terms of fighting ability, Belphegor is the most talented of the Varia.”

“A fighting genius?” Gojo liked the sound of that. Maybe he should sneak out of Jujutsu High tomorrow and come check the fight out. “What about this Gokudera? Is he any good?”

“It will be a tough battle.”

The way the cursed hitman said that made Gojo realize he was serious. But all of these were tough battles. They were a bunch of teenagers without cursed powers up against elite assassins. 

Yet Tsunayoshi didn’t seem too concerned. Which was very uncharacteristic of the teen. 

“Tsunayoshi~” Gojo leaned in closer. “You have a plan?”

“Sometimes...” Tsunayoshi set his cup down. He stole a glance towards Nana, who was chatting excitedly with Toji about her son. “Even geniuses have a few unfortunate accidents. Won’t you agree, Gojo-san?”

His words sent a slight chill down their spines. And Gojo decided that it was time to take his leave. This was enough excitement for one night. 

He would save some of the fun for later. 

As he strolled down the quiet streets, he examined the ring around his neck. It was made nicely but the rules of the world were engraved within it as well. It wasn’t just some pretty stone the underlings kiss in show of their loyalty. This...was a piece of this world’s foundation. 

Gojo laughed. “So you’ve got something to talk to me about?”

Reborn came out from the shadows and the hitman didn’t look particularly pleased. 

“Gojo Satoru...” Half of Reborn’s face was hidden underneath his hat, making him unreadable. “You’re from one of the elite three clans of shamans aren’t you? They say to beware of the Gojo’s boy with the six eyes.”

That made Gojo stop in his tracks and turn around. “You people sure dig deep.”

It was no secret in the jujutsu world but for an outsider like Reborn, he must have gone through some real strange and distant contacts to get this information. 

Reborn nodded. “It’s part of my job.”

“The same one that involves trying to kill the bastard?” That bastard was Toji. But Gojo didn’t need to elaborate as the hitman got the idea.

“...Yes.”

“I don’t really care if that guy dies or not. Heck, it might even be better if you do succeed. I have got a beef to settle with him but honestly, if someone else does the job for me, I won’t complain either.” Gojo lifted his bangs to show the scar on his forehead.

“You don’t like him,” Reborn stated flatly. “Looks like the feud between you two isn’t something simple either so why don’t you kill him?”

Why doesn’t Gojo kill Toji?

He had no doubt he would have done it if they encountered each other right after the Star Plasma Vessel mission. But fate played a trick and they missed each other. He _should_ have done it at the park that day too. But there was Megumi and the Ten Shadows. Then...Tsunayoshi happened. And Gojo became intrigued like a moth to a flame.

All fires needed fuel to keep them burning.

The flames would be gone once the fuel runs out.

What would be left then? Nothing but ashes and soot. 

“Tsunayoshi wouldn’t like that would he? Also, it looks like the opportunity just never came back up again.”

“If you are Tsuna’s friend, wouldn’t you want the better for him?”

“And who am I to decide what is better? That guy is a bum in my eyes but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure isn’t it?”

“I see.” Reborn didn’t push him further. It was nice speaking to people who had a brain. “Do you know something about the Arcobaleno’s curse then?”

Silence rained upon them. Reborn knew Gojo was hiding something and Gojo knew Reborn knew that. 

So Gojo sighed.

“All of your questions are basically the same thing.” Gojo’s answer made Reborn frown. The white haired teen bent down and his blue gaze landed into an abyss of black. “Tell you what, Arcobaleno. Here’s your daily dose of lessons in curses from the strongest jujutsu sorcerer alive right now! Even if you don’t know anything about curses, remember this: Love is the most twisted curse of all.”

Yes, love.

It was love that powered the Arcobaleno’s curse. The earthlings’ love for life and earth’s love for its creations...that twisted with the desperation to survive and resulted in a cruel curse. 

It was a pain to exorcise or dispel a curse like this. But undoing it was an entirely different matter. Like untying a ball of yarn that had become tangled, the person who was cursed must undo every single knot in order to lift the curse.

So this was one curse Gojo had no intention of touching. The love of a world wasn’t something he particularly wanted to get his hands on and he certainly wasn’t going to try and exorcise it by force.

That would just produce a mountain of dead bodies. 

As for Toji and Tsunayoshi...well, that was something even he doesn’t understand. Love was something even a rocket scientist or the greatest of philosophers couldn’t figure out. And Gojo, despite all his gifts and talents adored by the heavens, he was still just a teenager.

Who can blame him if he didn't understand what love was?

#

The night for the Storm battle, Gokudera nearly showed up late. He had spent the day with Shamal perfecting his technique and narrowly got to the designated battleground on time.

Technically he didn’t have to fight. He had already given the ring back to Tsuna but he knew the mafia too well. They would never stop. Eliminating the problems at their roots or before they budded was a common practice. So he wasn’t really surprised when the Varia came in like a wrecking storm. It doesn’t matter if they quit. As long as they were still associated with Tsuna, they would continue to be considered his guardians. So he fights.

Not only for Tsuna but also to ensure their friends don’t die. He...he didn’t think he would enjoy this so much. Before he set foot in Japan, he didn’t think he would get so accustomed to the day to day lives of school, homework, bickering, and hanging out with peers his age. 

They don’t call him names. They don’t ignore him because of his mixed blood or illegitimate birth. He wasn't just a bastard son in the shadows, only ever needed when his father felt like he could be used to earn some praises and laughs like a court jester. So Gokudera was willing to put his life on the line for that. 

“Gokudera-kun!” Tsuna greeted him. 

The white haired teen that stole the idiot cow’s place wasn’t here tonight. Neither was the man, which was slightly strange but Gokudera didn’t question it. There was no rule saying all the guardians have to be present during the fights anyways. They let the Cervellos explain the rules for tonight’s battle while Gokudera tried to calm down.

Tonight’s battle was indoors and there were hurricane turbines that can generate massive winds installed all over the place. If he got hit by it, he would definitely go flying out of the building along with all the chairs and desks. 

“...If neither of them can obtain the ring within fifteen minutes then both are unfit to be the storm guardian. Consequently, the bombs in the turbines will go off and destroy the whole floor.”

Both of them will die if there was no victor. A death match. How fitting of the mafia.

“Let’s extremely cheer on Gokudera then!” Ryohei shouted with his fist raised in the air. Although he lost the Sun ring to Toji, he still stayed as part of the audience. A back up guardian, according to Reborn. 

“What?” Gokudera sputtered as he backed away in horror of the embarrassment. Whatever anxiety was in him was now gone.

“I have been wanting to do it since the first battle!” the boxer said. “But the white hair guy just showed up out of nowhere and it feels weird to do it to scarface. So let’s do one for Gokudera today!”

“Ha!” Yamamoto smiled too. “Sounds fun! Let’s do it.”

“Hey you idiots! I don’t need that either!”

“It’s alright, Gokudera-kun.” Tsuna placed a hand on Gokudera’s shoulder. “It’s nice that everyone is gathering like this isn’t it?”

“Tsuna...” Gokudera gave in. He scanned the faces of his...friends, and he joined in on the embarrassing circle as Ryohei yelled encouraging lines one after another.

But even he couldn’t hide the curves on his lips.

“Don’t push yourself too much,” Tsuna told him right before Gokudera stepped into the battlefield. His opponent, Belphegor, was already standing there and looked much more relaxed. 

The blond even came up to Gokudera mentioning how stiff he looked as he patted him on the shoulder.

Then the Cervellos announced for them to start. It was a hard battle. In less than three minutes, Gokudera had knife wounds around his body while Belphegor remained unscratched.

The prince, Varia’s genius, was reading the wind currents and using them to his advantage. His knives rode the winds as they cornered Gokudera but Gokudera’s bombs were being blown away by the violent winds. 

“Belphegor is a true genius.” The baby from the Vaira commented as if Gokudera was dead meat already. “He is probably the only one who can do it in these winds.” 

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Gokudera knew that was true. This was something that took talent and experience. There was no way he could do the same instantly. 

For a second there, Gokudera felt something slithered past him but when he looked down there was nothing. 

_Huh?_

But he didn’t have time to think too deep. He figured out Belphegor had attached strings on him before the match. The knives were attached to the strings and they followed it to Gokudera.

“That only gets you fifty percent. You still can’t do anything in this wind.” Belphegor’s smile grew wider as he shot another dozen of knives out to ride the winds. Gokudera dodged narrowly again but there was no way he could counterattack if this continued. The prince’s attacks weren’t leaving any openings for Gokudera to regroup and use his bombs. 

The knives came in close and Gokudera expected to be hit by at least one of them.

Only, the aim for these knives were off. At the last second, they got swatted to the side and embedded into the wall. 

That wiped the smile off Belphegor’s face. 

“...Did Bel make a mistake?” Although they couldn’t see, Squalo’s voice still came through the sound system the Cervellos set up. 

Belphegor was grinning but Gokudera could tell he was starting to get a bit mad. “The prince doesn’t make mistakes.”

He raised his hand and more knives shot out. But the same thing happened. A sudden strong gust of wind knocked them to the side as they did with Gokudera's bombs previously.

And Gokudera took the chance to launch his new technique. The rocket bombs changed direction right as they travelled towards Belphegor. They made it safely past the howling winds and landed a direct hit.

That would have taken a normal person out but this was the Vaira they were up against.

“Ushishishi...” A slightly creepy laughter filled the destroyed hallway. “The blood of a royal!”

Belphegor was injured and the red flowed out of his injuries. But he didn’t look like he was in pain. Instead, he came charging at Gokudera at full speed. The knives shot out again, which Gokudera dodged but he still got cut.

Like magic. 

“Ugh!” Gokudera started running. He needed distance or he would get affected by his own bombs too. That was when he felt it again, something slithering through on the ground between his legs. 

“Ushishi, you have nowhere else to run to.” Belphegor’s voice closed in as they raced into the library. He raised his arm but then the prince stopped and confusion flashed across his face. 

His arm had gotten caught in thin wires and Gokudera could see them cutting through the prince’s jacket. 

“The wires? That’s how you cut me!” 

“Voi! Bel! What the heck are you doing messing up like this?” Squalo’s voice thundered through the battlefield. 

But even Belphegor looked confused as he retrieved his arm. Steadily, he shot another set of knives with his other hand and Gokudera prepared to roll out of the way. But he didn’t need to. The aim for those was way off.

As if they had didn't have enough drive to propel them any further. 

“...Is he losing control because of the blood lost?” Mammon questioned his teammates but none of them could provide an answer.

Squalo scanned the monitors showing the battle but found no trace of anything out of the ordinary so he turned to look at the brats that were also in the audience ring with them. They looked shocked too but they were happy at the enemy’s mistake.

“There’s something else here,” Belphegor suddenly said and the smile was gone. “What did you do?”

Gokudera had no idea what he was talking about. But then he remembered Kokuyou. He remembered seeing Reborn and the others fight something...something invisible.

Toji. That man wasn’t here. Why wasn’t he here? He would never have left Tsuna’s side in a time like this. Not unless he had something else to do. What was so important then?

Gokudera could only think of one thing.

 _Tsuna..!_ He didn’t think the brown haired teen would go so far. He didn’t know if he should be pissed that Tsuna didn’t think he would win to the point that he would try to interfere or be touched that Tsuna would do something like this to keep him alive. But this was his opportunity.

“Something else…?” Squalo turned to the brats and nearly got his sword out when he realized all of them were looking at Tsuna with confusion on their faces. “Hey! What did you do?”

Tsuna only smiled at him. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Squalo scowled. “The Cervellos...aren’t you going to do something about this? They are cheating aren’t they?”

“...We haven’t detected any signs of cheating within the battlefield. There is no evidence showing the fight had been tampered with.” The judges mentioned to the monitors. And that was true. There was no one alive other than Gokudera and Belphegor inside. There were no signs of things being moved by an outside force as the two battled. 

Belphegor’s knives were getting deflected by the winds before they could hit. Sometimes, he would have to stop or jump back as books came crashing down from the bookshelves nearby as well. But all of that was natural. They were causing a big ruckus and the books weren’t glued in place. They fell and the wind turbines were doing their jobs too.

Yet the Varia knew something was wrong.

“You little shit!” Squalo’s sword was out and he stomped towards Tsuna. Yet the Cervellos got in his way. 

“Tonight is the storm battle. Any other fighting between the guardians and the candidate for boss are prohibited.”

Squalo clenched his teeth but he turned to Mammon and the baby vanished from the room. Presumably to find the culprit.

“Ushishi, doesn’t matter then.” Belphegor started attacking the space around Gokudera as well. “I will slice up whatever it is along with you.”

Right after he said that, he tripped on a fallen book. 

In any other situations, this would be comical gold. 

But that alone wasn’t enough to stop Varia. Belphegor still managed to line up enough wires around Gokudera to corner him. But the silver haired teen bombed the floor and he used the wires against Belphegor. 

Multiple bombs exploded and the impact was great. It sent the bookshelves and books flying while the rubble crashed into the floor. As Belphegor laid on the ruined school grounds, Gokudera attempted to take the ring from him. He felt it again then, something grazing by the exposed skin on his arm. It felt like human flesh pressed against his skin.

But there was nothing there.

He felt himself getting dizzy. His vision was a haze of static gray and black. He had lost too much blood at this point.

It should have been done then. All he needed to do was grab the ring.

But Belphegor moved. 

The blond fought him for the ring as the Cervello started the count down to the bombs. If they didn’t get out of here, both of them would be blown to bits. Gokudera could hear the explosions closing in and his strength was diminishing as the blood left his system. 

“Hand over the ring, Hayato!” Shamal’s voice sounded from the announcers. 

Gokudera clenched his teeth as he punched Belphegor while they were tangled on the floor. “How can I go back empty handed?"

How could he?

He couldn’t do anything other than let Tsuna go when he asked for the ring back. The teen he wanted to follow and call boss for the rest of his life rejected him. Why? Because he was too weak.

They already won two of the battles but those were achieved by outsiders. The white haired teen and the strange man both came from the same roots. Tsuna didn’t like that they had to fight but he wasn’t worried. He trusted them to bring back a shining victory. Meanwhile, Gokudera was too weak so Tsuna had to worry about him. He had to go on the run to keep all of them out of danger’s way.

If Gokudera had been a little stronger, if he could prove he was just as good as the other two...maybe, maybe Tsuna wouldn’t have to leave. 

“There’s no longer any meaning to this battle!” Shamal’s voice sounded so far away. 

“Even if I die here, I won’t withdraw”

“Gokudera Hayato!” Tsuna yelled and that got an ounce of Gokudera’s nearly fading consciousness. “Stop joking around! Do you think I really care about these stupid rings? Winning or losing...that is pointless! The only reason why we are fighting is to keep everyone alive, so what’s the purpose of it all if you go ahead and die?”

At that moment, the past semesters flashed across Gokudera’s mind. They had snowball fights, they watched fireworks, they ate hotpot and desserts together. All of them. 

And he lost his grip on the ring just as the explosions reached the library.

He could feel the heat of the explosion but he also felt something else. Skin pressed against his and there was a ticklish feeling of hair on the nape of his neck. 

Somehow, he survived. 

Gokudera appeared at the end of the hallway.

“Gokudera-kun!” 

He heard footsteps as his friends circled around him. 

“I’m sorry, Tsuna...” Through hazy eyes, he saw the other teen’s blurry face against the light. “I want to see the fireworks with you all again so I came back.”

Tsuna helped him flip onto his back. “I’m glad...thank you, Gokudera-kun.”

Back on the battlefield, Belphegor wasn’t dead.

“Shishishi,” he laughed. “I’m the winner. The ring?”

His voice ended at an oddly high note. Within Belphegor’s hand, there was no ring. Only a broken necklace chain was left. 

The storm ring...it was a few feet away from him. It must have gotten blown away during the explosion. 

The Cervellos picked up the ring and collected Belphegor. “Since neither side obtained the ring in the end, the storm battle is a tie.”

“This is all wrong!” Squalo came towards them angrily with Mammon and their cloud guardian following close. “They obviously cheated so the ring should belong to us.”

“Prove it,” a voice said from the windows. When they all turned around, Toji was sitting on the frame of the window and he had a convenience store’s plastic bag in his hand. There was beer inside. He smiled. “Prove that we did something.”

“How about we start by figuring out where you disappeared to during the fight?” Squalo sneered. 

“At the convenience store down the road. I’m not interested in a fight between two brats.” Toji shook the bag in front of them all. “Also, by that standard, your boss, that umbrella dude and the one with the sunglasses are also very suspicious.”

“You really think we are going to ignore the fact that Belphegor made amateur mistakes while using his most trusted weapons? He’s insane but he’s not an idiot.”

“Accidents happen all the time. Maybe he’s just having one of those days.”

And the concrete above Toji’s head cracked and crumbled. The man moved away from the spot as the whole metal frame and concrete came crashing down. There was a deep slash in the building, caused by Squalo’s sword.

“Such a hot temper.” Toji shook his head as he threw a first aid kit out of the plastic bag to Tsuna. “I told you, prove that we did something. Otherwise you just look like sore losers.”

Mammon floated towards the judges. “Cervello?”

The girls shook their heads. “We did not catch anything unusual on the camera monitors or audio systems. Infrared didn’t show anything either.”

And they had witnessed the whole fight from start to finish. At least a dozen pairs of eyes yet none saw anything out of the ordinary.

Tsuna had finished giving Gokudera first aid so he stood up and wrapped his arms around Toji’s. It was a show of affection Gokudera had gotten used to despite his internal struggles against it. 

“We’re done for the night aren’t we? Let’s go, Toji-san. Gokudera-kun needs professional medical attention.”

“Hey Sawada—” Squalo started but he backed off when something attempted to hit him from the side.

“Hibari!” Yamamoto identified the newcomer, who had attempted to strike Squalo with his tonfas.

“Breaking into the school and vandalizing the properties...are all of you prepared to be bitten to death?” he asked coldly as he surveyed the wreckage made from his beloved school.

“You’re the cloud guardian?” Mammon sat on Gola Mosca’s hand.

“Another brat,” Squalo scuffed as he raised his sword. “How many times should I slice you open before I move on to that guy?”

His grin was menacing but Hibari didn’t back down. He was prepared to fight.

The Cervellos stepped in. “Please stop. Any brawls outside of the official battles will result in disqualification.”

So Yamamoto tried to intervene, even if he only achieved to make Hibari madder. It took some convincing for Reborn and the Cervello promising to repair the school for Hibari to back down for now. 

The Varia had to take their leave as well. But the nasty glares they shot Tsuna and Toji before they left indicated they weren’t going to let things go easily. 

“Tsuna...” Gokudera whispered and the brown haired teen returned to his side. He couldn’t tell exactly what Tsuna was thinking but he could feel that weird sensation of something close by again. 

It felt like hair.

Yet there was still nothing in his field of vision. No one else reacted abnormally either. They walked past him without any trouble.

In any other situation, he would be excited. He would want to know everything he could about what was going on. Was it the supernatural? Was it the unexplainable forces? But as he felt more and more hair tangling upon his numbed limbs, all he felt was fear. 

Tsuna helped Gokudera up and his fingers brushed by the back of Gokudera’s collar. And instantly, the feeling of being wrapped in a cocoon of hair was gone.

“Tsuna, what—” 

Tsuna placed a finger on his lips. “You should save your strength, Gokudera-kun. You fought really well tonight so it’s time to rest.”

That smile on his friend’s face was warm and reassuring. It held nothing that signaled danger or problem but Gokudera couldn’t relax.

“The important thing is that you survived tonight. I’m glad.”

Gokudera doesn’t know what the others were thinking. But as he glanced between Toji’s nonchalant face and Tsuna’s concerned one...he could only sigh. He thought back to the fireworks and the casual days of hanging out with his friends. 

“Yeah, I lived.”

And that was the only thing that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention it:
> 
> Yaga is Gojo's highschool teacher. He is also a jujutsu sorcerer.


	35. Extra (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING:**
> 
> This is a short piece from Tsuna and Toji's younger lives. It is NOT part of the ring battles.
> 
> This is also told mostly from an mob/outsider's POV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a bit bored of writing the Varia arc...so here you go.

Extra (1)

Tanaka doesn't take pride in his work. He was...how should he call it? A scout? Yes, he was a scout. 

You hear stories about pretty or handsome people getting discovered by agents on the streets and became national pop idols. Well, Tanaka's job was sort of similar to that. He surveyed the streets. He hangs around places where young people frequented looking for the next lovely face to put on the cover of DVD, CD, and movie posters. The only thing was...his targets were generally a lot _younger_.

Children. 

His clients loved children around the ages of five to seven. They were at their most innocent, with soft bodies and large does eyes. They make wonderful stars in front of the camera that many (and the number was larger than you'd think) would pay good money for. Especially to see them cry. 

Now, Tanaka doesn't swing that way. He had never reviewed or seen any of the finished products his clients produced. All he knew was that as long as he led a child with potential to them, he gets paid. And he has got bills to take care of, elderly parents that needed medicine...so he does it. He looks for good boys and girls, lost children, and parents that were desperate to make their child the next international sensation. 

But you see, pay has been a little hard to come by these days. The parents took tighter holds on their kids while out in the streets. The children travelled in groups and they run quite quickly at the sight of strangers. The other problem was the _quality_. The clients wanted beauty. They wanted blossoming flower buds and not trolls or plain grass that can be found in everyday life. They get picky about the hair colour, the shape of the lips, and for some of them, the gender influenced the price greatly too. 

So here he was, scouting the busy street of a commercial district on the weekend. There were many malls and shopping stores nearby. Families, single people, young and old all poured into the streets as they went about their shopping sprees. Tanaka leaned against the wall besides a flower shop as his eyes scanned the crowd. Generally, people don't pay him very much attention. He was never one to grab the spotlight. 

And finally, after about a hour or so of waiting, he found his target. 

There was a girl under the tree not far away. A young girl, probably only about six years old. She had fluffy brown hair and wore a white dress decorated with an orange ribbon behind her back. And when she turned around, Tanaka knew he would score big time if he managed to bring her in. Her eyes were brown, almost amber in colour, and they were framed with long lashes that made her features looked soft. Pale, porcelain skin and a small mouth...she was everything his clients would go crazy for.

Innocent. Beautiful. Fragile. 

Tanaka approached her.

"Hey there," he greeted. 

She looked up at him and there seemed to be stars in her eyes. The little girl smiled at him warmly. "Hello, Mister."

 _Wonderful._ She didn't have much of a guard up. That makes his job easier. 

"Are you lost?"

"I'm not."

"Did you came out here with someone?"

She looked at him for a moment then nodded. "Yes."

"Where are they then? It's not safe for a young girl like you to be alone on the streets."

"Onii-san said to wait for him and his friends here." She tilted her head to the side and her eyes looked watery. "...But they are taking a long time to come back."

A brother? That was simple. For a girl so young, the brother won't be too much older either. He probably was hanging out with his friends and they wouldn't be back any time sooner.

This was getting better by the minute. Tanaka could hear the sound of cash coming into his pockets. "Alright," he bent down and held out his hand to her. "I'm Tanaka, what's your name?"

"Mama calls me Tsu-kun."

That was sort of an unusual name for a girl but Tanaka supposed it could just be a nickname. 

"Tsu-kun, how about we go look for your brother?"

She looked hesitant. The girl took a slight step back.

"Hey now," Tanaka said as he reached out to her. "I just wanted to help you find your brother but it's okay if you don't want to. But you must be tired standing under this blazing heat for so long. I have coupons for the ice-cream store over there, how about we go get something and wait for your brother over there then?"

He pointed to the shop that was less than a dozen steps away from here. It was close by and it was crowded. 

Tsu-kun glanced at the advertisements of the different ice creams longingly and Tanaka knew he got her when she gave him a small nod. "Ok, Tanaka-san."

The girl put her small hand in his. Her skin was soft, another bonus for him. 

It didn't take much more convincing to bring Tsu-kun to go to another location with him. She was too young to understand the deceiving lies adults spew. They got to one the office of one of Tanaka's biggest clients. It wasn't a very conspicuous building. It was a simple four stories office with the third and fourth floor being the shooting sets and props storage and the lower floors as actual office spaces. 

"Mr. Sato!" Tanaka shook the other chubby man's hand after they were escorted into the private office. The place looked normal enough, with a wooden desk and a good leather chair. There were a few bookshelves on the sides and a sofa with a coffee table was in the middle. 

"Tanaka, who have you brought me today?" Mr. Sato's beady eyes landed on the girl that had followed Tanaka in. He was interested. That meant Tanaka was this much closer to walking out of here with pockets full of cash.

"This is Tsu-kun," he introduced while tugging on the girl's arm so she stood in front of the other man. 

"Hello, Tsu-kun." The man crouched down to greet her. "Would you like to be a star?"

"A star?"

Mr. Sato pointed to the posters on the wall. They weren't anything indecent. One showed a girl in a ballerina tutu while the other featured twin boys wearing in sports shorts. "Like them, you can be in a movie! We have a lot of pretty dresses for little girls like you! There are also many others your age in the building right now, would you like to make some new friends?"

His excitement might have spooked her a bit because Tsu-kun retreated to behind Tanaka. She bite down on her bottom lip as she tried to hid her face. "I...I think I want to go home."

The men shared a look. Then Tanaka patted the kid on the head and said, "Sure, but why don't we at least say hi to the other kids? It will make them very happy."

"It will?"

"Yes, it will."

So Tsu-kun agreed. They brought her to the third floor, where a crew of four to five men was just preparing to shoot a new film. There was a boy about Tsu-kun's age sitting on the bed in the middle of the set. His eyes were hollow while the men dusted his face with makeup.

"Oh? Who's this?" asked one of the men working on the camera. 

"This is Tsu-kun," Mr. Sato forcefully pulled the little girl towards the men. A flash of surprised appeared over her features but she didn't look like she was going to bolt or start crying. "Tsu-kun has a pretty face doesn't she? I think she would look good with Hikaru-kun over there wouldn't she?"

The boy didn't respond even if his name was called. Tsu-kun looked confused as she stared up at the men around her. But Tanaka knew the other adults in the room got what Mr. Sato is implying. 

The cameraman lifted a crooked grin. "Of course! What precious little princess! They would look lovely on camera!"

"Tanaka-san..." Tsun-kun tugged on his shirt. She was frowning and she obviously looked scared. "I want to go home. Please?"

But the man pushed her into the spot light. "Just one picture Tsu-kun. Your parents would love it too if they see how pretty you are."

They ignored the girl's stuttering pleas as everyone set to work. The makeup artist touched up a few places of Tsu-kun's face with powder and positioned her right next to Hikaru on the bed. 

They took some pictures first. Nothing too serious yet. The kids were fully dressed and they just took pictures of their faces from different angles. The cameraman cooed and gushed, calling them his "princess and little prince" and all sorts of other cute names. 

Tanaka stood on the sideline with Mr. Sato while the men worked. 

"Good work, Tanaka." Mr. Sato handed him a pile of money with a satisfied smile. "You sure found a good one today." 

"A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Sato." 

Tanaka was ready to leave. It wasn't his business what happens to the little girl after this. After all, it was her fault for being so trusting. But it was too bad, those dainty features of hers were going to be painted by the colours these adults want. On the set, Hikaru was sitting in a man's lap and they were trying to get Tsu-kun to do the same. 

"Ready?" the director asked. "Alright then, action—"

Before the last syllable left his mouth, Tanaka nearly got his nose sliced off by the door that flung open right in front of his face. The door slammed into the wall and it looked like it had a dent in it. As if someone had kicked it in like it was made of paper. 

A teen stood by the opened door. He had black hair and green eyes. His clothing was plain but the sharpness in his eyes told Tanaka this wasn't your usual flavour of delinquents. 

"Hey," the teen said as he cracked his knuckles. "What do you people think you're doing to my sister?"

Sister? 

Tanaka didn't think this was Tsu-kun's brother. They look nothing alike. 

"Onii-san!" the little girl cried out as she tried to struggle free from one of Mr. Sato's men's hold around her wrist.

The teen's eyes landed on Mr. Sato. "You should really let her go before I break your face."

But his threats only made the men laugh. Mr. Sato waved at his men with annoyance over his face. It wasn't the first time they had to deal with concerned caretakers. They always settled things quickly, with money or with...a little bit more forceful methods. "Take care of him and make it quick."

Tanaka thinks he should leave. He tried to move past the teen but before he knew it, he was on curled on the ground while holding his stomach. 

_What happened?_ It felt like his insides were twisted and tied into a knot. Hurling all over the floor, Tanaka could only see the black hair teen's back as he moved closer to the men. 

Mr. Sato was right.

It was a massacre that ended in seconds.

Mr. Sato's bulky men got slaughtered by one teen empty handed. Well, maybe not empty handed. Tsu-kun's Onni-san used anything he could get his hands on. He beat the teeth out of the men with camera poles and cracked their bones with the chairs on the set. Heavy punches landed on human flesh and blood spilled over the tiles.

 _...M-Monster!_

Even Mr. Sato didn't escape. His face was a swollen mess of black and blue. His right arm dangled at a weird angle and yellow liquid tainted the ground beneath him. The smell, the awful smell filled the air as did fear. 

"I-I'm sorry!" he begged for the teen to stop. "Please forgive us! Please!"

"What's that?" the teen cracked a sadistic smile as his feet made contact with the sobbing man's crotch area. There was a shriek of agony that sliced through the air and all of them shuddered. "Can't hear you over all that screaming."

Mr. Sato's lips quivered as his body trembled. "P-please, forgive us! We won't do something like this ever again!"

"Is that so?" Green eyes scanned over the whole room and everyone that was still conscious enough to move averted their eyes by hanging their head down lower into the floor. "Well, you scared my sister quite badly don't you think? I also worried about her so much during the time she was gone...don't you think we deserve some compensation?"

There was a pause as they tried to register what the teen had said but Mr. Sato scrambled onto his knees and took out his wallet. "Yes! Y-yes! Of course."

He handed all the cash in his wallet over and the rest of his men followed. Even Tanaka gave over everything he had as he winced from the pain.

"I felt your sincerity," the teen smiled with the thick bundle of cash in his hand. "I think it's good that we can say we never saw each other right?"

They nodded. They were willing to say or do anything at this point to get this walking humanoid murder weapon out of their building. The teen destroyed the camera holding Tsu-kun's pictures and waved at the little girl. She tackled him and the teen picked her up off the floor with one hand.

"Let's go," he said and headed out the door. Tanaka felt relieved. He didn't know how a nice little girl could have such a horrendous brother but then he looked up...and he saw the smile on Tsu-kun's face.

It was still warm, yet it was also freakishly devilish that it sent chills down his spine. 

And Tanaka decided then as the sound of police sirens came close, he quit. 

# 

Toji hummed as they strolled down the quiet alley. He was still holding Tsuna in his arms since they both found it easier that way. He could react faster if something unfortunate or dangerous happened and there was less risk of Tsuna tripping over his own feet or on air. 

"How did I do, Toji-san?"

"You did great," Toji complimented as Tsuna counted the bills. He was still slow and he often gets the different amount of bills mixed up but Toji didn't rush him. He would correct the boy from time to time before watching Tsuna tuck the bills away in a neat stack. They made some good money today. 

"No one suspected a thing. They couldn't tell I am a boy."

"Your mom is getting better and better at it."

Tusna tugged on the end of the ribbon on his dress. "I don't think this is what she meant for me to do with it though."

Toji just laughed. Tsuna pouted but he told Toji about what had the men did back inside the filthy filming studio. "They keep calling me 'princess'. It felt icky."

"Well, then you can always just get rid of them with an order of 'off with their heads'." Toji set a tiara on Tsuna's head. He had stole it off the racks before he left. It was nothing fancy and the jewels were probably fake but it glistens with the light and it was the perfect picture out of a lot of small girls' dreams. He teased, "Isn't that right, Your Highness?"

Tsuna rolled his eyes and smacked Toji's hand lightly. Then he stopped and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Toji-san," Tsuna looked into the teen's green eyes. "What's going to happen to Hikaru?"

"Who?" Toji thought for a moment then he remembered a face from the fight earlier. "The little boy that was with you back there?"

"Yes."

"Who knows?" That kid looked like he had been in the production for some time. It would take a miracle and a lot of time to make him functional again.

That obviously wasn't the answer Tsuna wanted. The boy looked down and his mouth turned into an upside down curve.

Sighing, Toji pressed Tsuna's head closer to his chest and said, "Hang on."

And they were off the ground. Toji climbed the wall of the building beside them with ease and jumped onto the edge of the roof after navigating through the wires and billboards. The wind was stronger here, so Tsuna had to squint before his eyes got adjusted to them. 

"See that commotion over there?" Toji pointed to the flashing lights and noise back the direction they came from. "The cops got a tip that those men are doing something bad so they are there to arrest them."

"They are going to jail?"

"Probably. Might be a different story if they got good enough lawyers but it should shut down their operations for some time." Normally Toji wasn't one for such wishful thinking but Tsuna liked it. "As for that kid, well, everyone can wish for things to get better can they? We did our part. Now let the professionals handle it. It's better than barging in and making things worst cause you don't know jack shit about what's going on."

And that was the closest thing to sympathy Tsuna was ever going to get out of him. He had no interest in some random kid's fate when he's got enough on his plate already.

Tsuna blinked. But then he nodded. "Okay. You're right."

Toji ruffled his hair. "So, let's go get something to eat! How about Takiyoki?"

"Again? No." Tsuna shook his head. "I want something sweet. I want the puddings from the cafe with the bear logo."

"But that place is all the way on the other side of the city." And the traffic at this hour was crazy.

"Toji-san." The boy stared at the teen holding him with the most serious expression he could muster. Slowly, he repeated,"Puddings." 

Toji sighed as he racked a hand through his hair in defeat. "Fine, we'll get puddings. You spoiled brat."

And Tsuna, he smiled as they leaped off the building. While holding the tiara in place on his head with one hand, he giggled as they ran across roof tops with the wind rushing by their exposed skin. 

He always loved this part after their little schemes. There was no one calling him 'No good Tsuna', no one teasing him about his lack of...well everything. There was no blood or violence either and they had the wind singing for them as the city danced underneath their feet. 

They were free.


	36. Ring Battles - 4

34

Tsuna looked down at the cursed spirit Toji had brought in for the job. It looked like a snake but instead of scales, it had blue skin as thick as armor on its underside. That wasn’t unusual. The problem was with what was on the upper portion of it. 

It—she—looked like a human.

Her face was twisted, stretched out thin and flat. Nonetheless, there were two eyes, a nose, and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. Black hair spilled down her shoulders and they hid the upper part of her body in a tangled mess. More hair spilled to the ground. 

Megumi held his hands close together as he stood beside Tsuna. His jade eyes never left the cursed spirit. Tsumiki was busy behind Tsuna as she put ribbons and colorful little hairpins into his hair. She couldn’t see the cursed spirit so she wasn’t as anxious as her brother. 

“It’s alright, Megumi.” Tsuna held the boy’s hands in his. “Your dad’s here.”

Megumi glanced at Toji and he cringed. But he relaxed and sat down next to his sister to watch her work.

“What do we have here, Toji-san?” Tsuna asked as he handed another clip shaped like a cat to Tsumiki.

“It’s a curse born from the desire of a mother that doesn’t want to be parted with her child.” Toji lifted her onto the coffee table in the living room so her hair wasn’t blocking the way. “It’s a grade four and not exactly violent. Its only desire is to protect its child.”

“Child?”

Toji handed him a piece of worn out fabric. It might have carried a vibrant color once but now only a wash out grey remained. It wasn’t big, only about a third the size of his palm. But as soon as Tsuna held it, the cursed spirit turned her attention to him. 

“That used to belong to her kid. If you have that on you, she will think you are her kid and protect you.”

Tsuna looked down at the cursed spirit. She had gotten closer to him and tangled her wrinkly fingers on the fabric of his pants. Her lips moved but only a hissing sound came out. Somehow, Tsuna thinks she was calling for her child.

She must have loved her child dearly to be able to manifest a curse from it.

Hair tangled upon his arm but Tsuna leaned forward to hold her. Her hair was wrapping into his skin and it was slowly starting to feel oddly suffocating. Megumi was fidgeting again but he hesitated because Tsuna didn’t ask for help.

“...Tsuna,” he called while dragging Tsumiki away as the hair poured over. 

“It’s fine,” the brown hair teen replied with a reassuring smile. “This is no big deal.”

The cursed spirit wasn’t twisted enough to develop a killing intent yet. She wouldn’t kill him. He untangled himself from the bundle of hair and let Toji store her back into his weapons storage. It wasn’t the prettiest sight to watch a worm with a human face swallow a snake with a woman’s head.

“Ew.” Megumi shielded his sister’s eyes even though the girl can’t see anything. 

“Is it gone now?” Tsumiki asked quietly when Megumi let go. The little boy nodded and Tsumiki returned to Tsuna’s side happily.

“Tsuna! Stay still!” she ordered. “I’m not done making you pretty yet!”

“Okay.” Tsuna sat back down as she got to work. He was sure his head looked like a zoo was having a party up there right now, judging from Toji’s face. Megumi also couldn't meet him in the eyes as the little boy's shoulder trembled.

And suddenly, Tsuna felt like he should share some of this love and attention with the father and son duo. 

“Tsumiki,” he called with a sweet smile. 

“Yes?”

“I think we should make Toji-san and Megumi pretty too, don’t you agree?”

Tsumiki had stars in her eyes as she nodded excitedly. “Yes!”

And she picked up a handful of supplies as she closed in on the other two Fushiguros. Megumi looked horrified at the countless rainbow colored ribbons and animal hair clips approached him as he backed away. But Toji was faster than him, the man lifted his son by the back of his collar and placed the boy right in front of Tsumiki. 

“Da—” he started but Tsumiki had reached him and he froze. 

“Megumi! Do you like dogs or cats better?” She shoved the hair accessories in front of her brother’s face with a huge grin. The clips were cute, overly cute. They were sparkly and full of pastel colors. 

Megumi looked at Tsuna for help but the teen only handed Tsumiki a pair of hair ties with rabbits on them. “I think the rabbits would look better.”

The look of utter betrayal on the kid’s face was pure gold. 

Tsumiki agreed. “Rabbits are cute.”

So she started tying them into Megumi’s hair. It wasn’t an easy thing for a young girl as she tried to get the unruly locks of hair to stay in place. At this point, Megumi stopped trying to run and just stared up at Tsuna and his dad as if they sold him to the Zenins.

Toji faked a cough to hide his laugh as he backed away from the living room while his step-daughter had a new victim under her little claws. But Tsuna wasn’t going to let him get away so easily. So he tackled the man and they both fell onto the sofa.

“Fuck, Tsuna—”

Tsuna clasped his hand over Toji’s mouth while he tried to pin the man down. “No swearing in front of the kids! Also, you’re putting on a flower or a ribbon too. It’s only fair.”

“Life isn’t fair, get used to it.” Toji placed a hand on Tsuna’s side and their positions flipped. Pressing Tsuna into the sofa, Toji snatched the flower clips out of Tsuna’s hand and added them onto the collection that was already tangled in the teen’s brown locks.

But he forgot that he wasn’t just up against Tsuna. 

Tsumiki and Megumi both leaped onto Toji from behind and they clipped whatever they had in their little hands onto Toji’s black hair. The man stumbled a little as the weight came crashing down on him suddenly. That gave Tsuna the opening to kick Toji’s leg out from under him and cause him to lose balance. All of them ended up on the floor, with Toji pinned at the very bottom of the pile. 

“Payback,” Megumi mumbled darkly at his father as he reached for the big red bows. The boy had dogs and cats smiling in his messy black hair too, because Tsumiki thought the rabbits would be lonely without their friends. 

“Yeah, it’s payback time.” Tsuna took the ribbon from Tsumiki as she laid across Toji’s chest, trying to keep the man still with her weight (even though they all knew that even if all three of them combined it wouldn’t be enough to stop Toji).

“Are you all serious?” Toji complained loudly. 

Tsuna and Megumi responded by adding the bows and ribbons to the man’s hair. 

But their efforts were quickly disrupted when Toji sat up abruptly. Tsumiki giggled and screamed as she rolled towards Tsuna. 

“Fine,” Toji pulled some of the ribbons out of his hair and he grinned. “It’s going to be the last one standing then.”

And the house was filled with the sound of children laughing and screeching. Pillows went flying and so did the box of hair accessories. A few cusses mixed with Tsuna’s yelling as the battlefield carried over into the hallway and bedrooms.

“Megumi, corner Daddy!”

“Divine dogs.”

“Hey, no jujutsu in the house! Shit! Come back here, you little git.”

“Toji-san, I said no swearing!”

At the end of it, all of their hair looked like it had been through a tornado of glitter and cute animals. Megumi and Tsumiki collapsed on the divine dogs in a giggling mess while Toji sat cross-legged beside them on the floor. The kids had moved onto decorating the dogs now. 

Tsuna dropped his head on the man's thigh as he laid on the floor.

"Happy now?" Toji asked with a huff. He had the big sparkling red bow on his head. His hand touched Tsuna's cheek and it felt warm despite how rough the man's skin was. 

Tsuna smiled. "Yeah." 

# 

Before the storm fight, Tsuna stuck the fabric behind Gokudera’s collar. Toji had already released the cursed spirit and it had been following close to Tsuna. But once the fabric was given away, she let go of him and approached Gokudera curiously. Confusion flashed across her whole body as she struggled to decipher why her child suddenly looked different. 

But, in the end, she followed Gokudera onto the battlefield. 

“Don’t push yourself too much.”

Cursed spirits don’t show up on camera or modern imaging technologies. They can’t be seen by mortal eyes either. So even as Squalo questioned them, Tsuna only smiled. 

The Vaira had no proof. And the Cervello needed proof to make their judgments justified. They couldn’t do anything now.

But Tsuna did feel a little bad for Gokudera. The other teen probably felt the touches of the cursed spirit. She was tangling her hair on him after the battle ended. It was probably her way of trying to keep her child safe. 

So Tsuna took back the fabric and watched as the cursed spirit wrapped herself to him. He felt the added weight but still kept a smile on for his injured friend. Dino dropped by and Romario offered to take care of Gokudera’s injuries after Shamal declined on the basis that he doesn’t treat men. 

And they learned about Yamamoto’s opponent from the Bucking Horse.

A sword emperor. A man with great skills in swordsmanship and countless skulls weeping under his blade.

It was going to be a tough fight to rig. 

The rain guardian’s fight came and Tsuna’s first thought when they saw the battlefield was that they were so screwed.

Hibari was going to lose it if he saw what they did to the school.

The whole inside of the area had been torn down into a wreck. Water poured down, leaked through the holes in the ceiling. 

_Holyfuckweareallgoingtogetbittentodeath!_

But then Xanxus appeared on one of the upper floors and his glare shook Tsuna back to reality. 

“You worms...” the black haired Varia boss muttered in a low voice. “Dirty tricks won’t last long.”

They don’t need to last long though. They just have to work. 

Gokudera was wrapped up like a mummy and Basil (his dad probably left the teen to supervise the battles on behalf of CEDEF) came to watch their fight too. They formed a huddle for Yamamoto while Dino watched. 

“Yamamoto fight!” Ryohei cheered. 

Tsuna was about to play his same trick again when Yamamoto grabbed his wrist. The baseball star leaned in close and whispered, “No, don’t do it Tsuna.”

“Yamamoto-kun?”

“I don’t really know what it is that you have planned but I want to fight this battle where both sides are without handicaps. It’s not really a win otherwise.” Yamamoto released him and there was a smile on his face. “I’ll come back alive so don’t worry. See you later.”

Tsuna’s hand trembled. But as he stared at the serious look on Yamamoto’s face, he sighed and dropped his arm to his side. “Please come back in one piece.”

“I will.”

And they vacated the arena. 

The first few minutes of the fight was...how should Tsuna put it?

“He’s a natural,” Toji commented. 

Yes, Yamamoto was a natural born assassin. Squalo was good and fast, but Yamamoto looked like he was holding his own so far. The Shigure Souen style of swordsmanship he learnt from his father was helping him defend himself against Squalo’s gunpowder and sword. 

_But..._

“It’s not enough,” Tsuna mumbled when he saw Yamamoto charging forward. Squalo wasn’t wounded even if Yamamoto switched to offense.

The silver haired swordsman got up from the water and he asked, “Why did you use the back of the sword instead of the blade?”

Yamamoto lifted a smile. “I’m here to win, not to kill.”

“That baseball idiot!” Gokudera cursed besides Tsuna. But Tsuna couldn’t say he didn’t like Yamamoto’s way of thinking. It was naive but if they could, he didn’t want blood on his friends’ hands either. 

On the field, Squalo started laughing. He raised his sword and attacked. “Hey! Aren’t you underestimating me too much?”

And both swung their swords at the same time. Columns of water raised into the air, shielding their views. As the water spilled to the side, so did Yamamoto’s blood. There was a gush on his shoulder.

“Let me tell you something, kid.” Squalo wiped his wet bangs out of his eyes.”That Shigure Souen style of yours, I have defeated it before. They said it was a flawless technique but I saw through all of it and sliced the master and his apprentices to ribbons!”

Experience.

That was the thing Yamamoto lacked. From what Dino said, Squalo defeated countless swordsmen before. Meanwhile, Yamamoto just started learning how to hold a sword a few days ago.

In battle, that gap in experience translates into blood and wounds. Yamamoto had injuries on his face and chest. His clothing clung to his skin as they absorbed the liquid. His arm was also shaking, he didn’t have enough strength to hold off the numbing feeling from catching Squalo’s violent attacks. 

And as Tsuna watched the battle unfold before their eyes, he decided they should step in. Toji must be thinking the same thing because Tsuna could see the cursed spirit around the man’s body opening its mouth.

Yamamoto said he wanted a fight where both sides are without handicaps. Well, what happens if both sides _receive_ a handicap? The playing field would still be even then, wouldn’t it?

But Tsuna wasn’t trying to give Yamamoto an advantage.

They were just buying time. 

A dozen fly heads came out of the cursed spirit and they were released into the battlefield. Now, cursed spirits were attracted to cursed energy...and who would have more cursed energy than the people locked in a fight to the death? No one. 

So the little monsters flew down towards the two swordsmen. They tangled and settled onto Yamamoto and Squalo’s shoulders while some clung to their thighs. And Squalo’s face changed as he frantically grabbed at the space above his shoulder. 

“What is the idiot long hair doing?” Belphegor asked. He didn’t look much better than Gokudera but the blond was still standing. 

“Voi! Those brats are playing dirty again!” Squalo swung his sword around, but all he cut was air. “My body feels heavier.”

While still wavering slightly, Yamamoto got up and caught his breath with the Vaira swordsman busy catching the invisible evil. The black haired teen frowned as he asked, “You felt it too?”

Squalo stopped moving as he narrowed his eyes on Yamamoto. “You too? What is that boss of yours thinking?”

What is Tsuna thinking?

Yamamoto doesn’t know. But he does feel his shoulder getting a bit heavier than it supposed to. He thought it might be because of the blood loss and fatigue. In reality, it looked like Tsuna did something again. 

The fight wasn’t unfair. He was subjected to the same disadvantage as Squalo. 

_Only Tsuna could come up with something so absurd._

But now he had a chance to stop and think, he knew what his dad’s words meant. The Shigure Souen style was invincible and flawless. 

So he cracked a smile despite the blood pouring down his right eyelid. “The only thing I know is that the Shigure Souen style is completely invincible and flawless.”

His words didn’t register well with Squalo or their audience. 

“What a stubborn bluff,” Mammon commented. “He can’t do anything with that body.”

That seemed to be exactly what Squalo was thinking too. “You trash! Maybe i’ll start dismembering you by cutting off your mouth first.”

They charged at each other. Blades drawn and as they collided, it wasn’t Squalo who landed a hit. No, Yamamoto’s katana made contact with Squalo’s body first. Blood leaked from the silver haired man’s parted lips as he crashed into the water.

“Did you use another style of sword?” he shouted angrily as he got back up. Silver locks of hair poured in front of his face while droplets of water rolled down his face. 

“No, that was the Shigure Souen style.”

The Shigure Souen style was invincible and flawless. It was a style that progressed and regressed with each generation. The successors carry on the moves developed by their predecessors and create new forms. 

Squalo wiped his mouth on his sleeve. His movements were slightly more sluggish due to the number of fly heads on his body. They really do love him. It must be because he was emitting more intent to kill than Yamamoto. 

“Either way, I have seen the move now so it won’t work on me twice.” That was true. Squalo was a genius with swords. The man raised his sword again. “Don’t make a mockery of this match by attacking with the back of your sword. Come at me with all you got.”

So Yamamoto placed both hands on the hilt of his sword and raised it in the air like it was a baseball bat. “Then I should show you the Shigure Souen style’s ninth form.”

“Ninth?”

Tsuna thought there were only eight forms that Yamamoto knew. So that means…

“Yamamoto is going to create a new form on his own,” Reborn finished his thought. The hitman was sitting on Dino’s shoulder as he studied the battle on the screen in front of the audience.

It was a risky thing to do. To try and perfect a triumph card during a real battle was suicidal. But with great risks, there comes opportunity.

Squalo moved first, his slashes parted the wave of water as he closed in. “Die!”

But Yamamoto wasn’t a sitting duck. He vanished.

No. Maybe vanished wasn’t the right term. 

The teen appeared behind Squalo.

At the last moment, Squalo’s hand snapped back into an impossible angle and stabbed through Yamamoto’s heart. 

“An artificial hand,” Toji said as he leaned in closer. “Now that’s interesting. Too bad it didn’t hit.”

Gokudera looked at him weirdly. “Didn’t hit?”

It was true. Water poured down on Squalo, drenching him while Yamamoto appeared on the other side of the swordsman.

Reborn smiled a bit. “It was an illusion projected onto the surface of the water.”

And the back of Yamamoto’s sword smacked down on the back of Squalo’s neck. The man fell forward, face first down into the water. He tried to move but his body was too heavy. His uniform had soaked up too much water and the weight never seemed to leave his shoulders.

As Squalo splashed into the wet floor, Yamamoto raised the ring in his hand towards the camera. 

“I won!” he huffed.

Tsuna and his group all looked happy. But the same can’t be said for the Varia. Xanxus’s laughter could be heard as he degraded his own ally for losing. 

“The trash outlived his usefulness.”

Tsuna didn’t know if that was mafia enough but he didn’t like it. Still, Squalo followed Xanxus willingly so it wasn’t his place to teach the men to respect their comrades. If eliminating the weak was the philosophy they lived by, then they couldn’t object when they themselves became the weak and must be terminated can they?

The Cervellos announced the depth of the water was enough to release the sharks and that stopped the Varia members from going down to end Squalo on Xanxus’s orders. 

“Yamamoto Takeshi, you should exit the battlefield while you can.”

“Wait, what will happen to Squalo then?” the baseball star asked as he eyed the collapsed man beside him.

“His safety is not our responsibility.”

The words were cruel. 

Yet Yamamoto smiled. “Thought so. Well, here we go then.”

He tried to support Squalo off the ground. But in the state he was in, he wouldn’t be able to move very fast. Not when his injured body has to support both his and Squalo’s full weight along with their swords. And the fly heads. 

“Are you an idiot!” Gokudera shouted into the sound system. “The blood is going to attract the shark to you.”

“It’s only natural to rescue someone in this situation isn’t it?” Yamamoto replied as he hauled and half dragged Squalo over the rubble. 

And they watched as he stumbled his way towards the exit. But the shark was closing in fast and the floor beneath the two swordsmen collapsed, sending down a few feet, closer to the shark as the water continued to rise. 

“Crap,” Yamamoto said as he steadied himself on the crumbling ground. They were losing their footings fast. 

“Put me down,” Squalo’s voice sounded along with the sound of pouring water. He had recovered his consciousness. “You’re tainting my honor as a swordsman.”

“But...”

“Voi, you’re noisy.” Squalo attempted to kick Yamamoto away, but the fly heads tangled upon both of their bodies didn’t allow him to put any good distance between them.

Yamamoto climbed back to his feet and reached towards Squalo just as a large shadow surfaced from the water. It broke through the rushing water and opened its gigantic mouth, ready to swallow both of them in. 

“Yamamoto!” Tsuna shouted. 

Red tainted the battlefield. Blood spluttered and gushed everywhere before being taken away by the raising water. Yamamoto and Squalo were still in the same positions they were in, only they were drenched from the head to toe in blood.

Two halves of the shark laid beside them. Organs spilled onto the little solid ground left while Toji stood on a small piece of rock still poking through the surface of the water.

He was putting away a sword tainted in red as he whistled.

“You?” Yamamoto’s good eye widened as he stumbled back onto the ruins on his behinds. The close call made his mind a bit dizzy. “Why would you save us?”

“You really need to lose some of that naivety if you want to live a longer life.” Toji scowled with annoyance. He went over to their side and grabbed them off the ground, one in each hand. “Also, I don’t want to deal with the water works from Tsuna if we need to go to your funeral after this rubbish. So count yourself lucky.”

“Voi! Put me down, you scum!” Squalo tried to struggle as he was being manhandled like a stray cat that needed shots. Toji just rolled his eyes and slammed the silver haired swordsman’s head into the pillar beside them. There was a loud bang, a groan, and Squalo went limp again.

“Um..” Yamamoto swallowed hard.

Toji shoved the teen closer to the wall threateningly. “What, you're going to complain too?”

Scratching his head, Yamamoto laughed. “Haha, I’m good. Thanks for saving me.”

Toji grunted as a response and he set off towards the exit with the extra luggages. It didn’t matter if there was no solid ground beneath his feet, he ran across the surface of the water as if he was on a normal track field. 

“...He sure is a freak,” Dino commented with a twisted look on his face, as if he had eaten something bad.

Reborn and the Varia didn’t make a sound but they were probably thinking the same thing. It was one thing to be fast. It was another to be able to pull off a feat like that. 

Once they reached the outside, Toji released both Yamamoto and Squalo on the ground roughly.

“Yamamoto-kun!” Tsuna came running towards them. 

The black haired teen waved at his friends as he let go of his sword and laid down on the dry ground. He gave them a thumbs up with a smile. “I’m back alive!”

“Don’t make us worry for nothing, you stupid baseball maniac.” Gokudera kicked Yamamoto’s leg while Ryohei extremely tried to help Yamamoto up with Basil’s aid. 

Out of the corner of his eyes, Tsuna saw Dino approaching Squalo but the blond looked uncertain if he should help or not. 

_Did they know each other?_

But the Cervello’s voice prevented him from thinking any deeper. 

“We shall announce the results of the rain battle,” they said on the monitor screen. “The victory of the battle for the ring of the rain goes to Superbi Squalo.”

Hearing the results, everyone all turned their attention to the Cervellos.

“Wait, what?” Royhei looked up at the screen. “But Yamamoto won!”

“We said it before, no interference from the other guardians are allowed in the battle. Any such action will result in disqualification. The Heavenly Tyrant entered the battlefield before we, the judges, announced the victor officially. Squalo was still conscious and thus, the battle shall be considered as still in progress at the time of interference.” The explanation was cold and hostile. “Subsequently, the ring of the sun will be confiscated too.”

“The hell with that!” Gokudera shouted angrily.

Tsuna and Toji both frowned too. The man’s hand reached for the side of the cursed spirit’s mouth as he took a few steps towards where the Cervellos would be. But Tsuna stopped him.

“Let go, I’m going to go chop off a few heads. That should help those idiots see some reason.”  
Tsuna wrapped his arms around Toji’s waist and grabbed hold of the man’s hands. He weaved his fingers in between Toji’s too to make sure the man wouldn’t be able to hold a weapon. “No. That’s exactly what they want.”

His own words were trembling a bit as he tried to not get frustrated himself. 

The Cervellos wanted a reason to give Tsuna’s side a handicap. Since they couldn’t catch them cheating red handed, they won’t let go of this opportunity to pin this on Toji. No matter the sport or competition, killing the judge never put one in the more favorable light. Especially not when the jury was biased.

It was Xanxus’s laughter that made all of them snapped a little out of their anger towards the Cervellos. 

“Looks like the tables have turned now, Sawada Tsunayoshi.” Xanxus got up from his chair and he leered at the young group of teens before him. “Careful, cause I intend to make my words come true once I have the Vongola name behind me officially.”

The remaining Varia members all agreed. 

Taking a deep breath, Tsuna stared up at Xanxus. “Take your men and leave, Xanxus.”

The cruel smiles on the Varia boss’s lips really made Tsuna want to take something metallic to his face. But Xanxus didn’t put them further, he merely watched as Toji tutted and untangled his hands from Tsuna’s. He threw the ring of the sun and the rain over. Mammon caught the rings and they began to retreat.

“Wait!” Yamamoto yelled with shadows over his features. “What about Squalo?” 

“Do whatever you want with him. The Vaira has no use for useless trash.” 

And Xanxus left without ever sparing another glance at his fallen comrade.

His words made Yamamoto look down and the teen cursed slightly. “Damn it...guys, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, Yamamoto-kun.” Tsuna comforted as he placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You did nothing wrong.”

The only wrong was that they underestimated the slyness of the mafia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The anime for JJK is out! I'm so happy everyone looks so pretty!
> 
> Also, I really wish there is going to be a season two because I want to see animated Toji!!!!!


	37. Ring Battles - 5

35

For most of Reborn’s life, no one has continued to surprise him as often as Sawada Tsunayoshi. Right now, Tsuna stood in front of him and Basil with a tray of tea. His demeanor was relaxed and he waved at them with a smile.

“Let’s talk,” the teen said.

The hitman and CEDEF’s disciple shared a glance before they followed Tsuna to his bedroom. Tsuna shut the door and poured them all tea. It smelled nice, nothing expansive but the warm scent naturally made people relaxed. 

“What do you want to talk about?” Reborn asked. Tsuna hadn’t been home a lot after the argument with Iemitsu. Even after the ring battles started, he only stayed about one or two nights here in his bedroom.

There was no doubt where he had gone during the other nights.

Now, Reborn has seen far worse. He has heard far worse. While Vongola tried to steer away from those kinds of businesses, they still hear things every now and then. But those were stories and tragedies that fell on strangers, to thousands of nameless faces that Reborn never bothered to remember. Their tales always end in blood, in tears, and in pain.

Call him a hypocrite.

But Tsuna was his student. 

Reborn knew this well and he knew that nothing he said or did could change the boy’s mind right now. So he held his tongue and merely watched. He wasn’t usually one to sit and wait for fate to do its work but sometimes, people only learn when the truth hits them head on like a brick.

Also, he wanted to see how much longer the Heavenly Tyrant could keep his act up. So long as what the man did was beneficial to Tsuna, Reborn couldn’t exactly complain. 

“I want to learn how to use the dying will flame properly.” Tsuna held his hand out and a spark of orange danced on his finger. His eyes changed color too. The pale orange hue seeped its way into his pupils and Reborn sighed internally.

Such talent.

Such potential.

But his heart wasn’t at the right place.

Still, it doesn’t really matter why a student wants to learn. So long as they do, it was the teacher’s job to satisfy that need. “Why the sudden interest?”

“Because we need more bargaining chips on the table.” The teen pulled his hand back and the flame disappeared. “There’s something going on back at Vongola’s homebase right? That was why Dad left and since he hasn’t come back yet, it’s probably serious. I don’t really care who sits on the throne in the end but we’re going to have a problem if Xanxus wins the ring battles. He’s going to come after everyone on our side.”

Very true.

Xanxus was never known for his kindness. He was Varia’s boss and the first rule of the Varia was that they never left behind a threat. 

“What makes you think I can teach you?”

“Isn’t that what you advertised yourself for when you first came here?” Tsuna leaned his head on his palm as if Reborn had asked a rather silly question. “To make me a great don? How good is a boss when he can’t control his flames in your world?”

The teen was still at that age where gender was a blurry line. The hormones hadn’t fully kicked in yet and the features of his face were still soft. Tsuna didn’t feel as detached lately. Ever since he held a gun to his own head, it was as if the teen had gone totally “fuck it”. His movements were no longer dull and his speech carried a lot more flare. Even his smiles, they were tainted with a sort of strange charm that captivated people in a haze, luring them closer.

But he was still Tsuna. That gentleness and desire for peace was still present in his thoughts and action. Like two sides of the same coin, the good and the bad, the tainted and the saint...they were all Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Reborn wasn’t sure what to make of it yet. 

“There is something the first Vongola used. He fought with his hands, with gloves just like yours.” Reborn gestured to the wool gloves sitting on Tsuna’s desk. “It’s called the zero point break.”

“Zero point break?”

“The training will be quite hard and rigorous. You only have days to perfect something the first spent half a year learning how to do.”

Reborn knew they could skip the first stage of training. Primo climbed cliffs to train his basic strength and became able to go into hyper dying will mode anytime but Tsuna...he didn’t need that. The teen’s body might look frail but he has enough stamina already. As for hyper dying will mode...well, as disturbing as it was, Tsuna has that covered too.

He was prepared to die at any time. To gamble with his life in battle. It wasn’t a complete disregard for his own health or wellbeing. No. Tsuna wasn’t suicidal. But to the teen, _everything_ could be up for bargain so long as the price was right.

Maybe it was the monsters he fought. Maybe battling those cursed spirits wired the boy’s brain differently than normal. And the result was this madness Reborn was left to decipher. Reborn wouldn’t say it was a bad thing. It was better than having rosy expectations that he was going to be invincible just because he suddenly can shoot fire out of his hands.

This was realty. And not even all comic book protagonists get that fate.

Also, Reborn had to admit that they were in trouble. Xanxus’s words didn’t give him good omens and the lack of intel from Iemitsu about what was going on back in Italy made him worry.

Toji and that Gojo’s boy were strong.

But they won’t be able to help if the fight comes down to between Xanxus and Tsuna. 

So Reborn set down his cup and pulled out his gun. 

“We will have you enter hyper dying will mode repeatedly. When you get tired, I will shoot you with the dying will bullet so you’d rest with a dying will to enhance the training’s efficiency.” He decided to come entirely clean. Lies and withholding information from Tsuna had proved to only cause the negative effects. “Basil here will be your sparring partner. You must beat him in a fight under the hyper dying will mode first.”

Basil nodded. “I am honored to be Lord Sawada’s training partner.”

“It will be really tough on your body and spirit,” Reborn warned while he pointed his gun at Tsuna. “This is essentially the same thing as dying repeatedly in a short span of time. It will hurt a lot.”

Tsuna stared into Reborn’s dark eyes. “This zero point break...it is powerful?”

At that moment, Reborn knew that any good adult would have said no. He should have said no. The boy was already twisted and what they were about to put him through certainly wouldn’t do anything to mend that problem.

But when he opened his mouth, the word that came out was a simple “Yes.”

Tsuna leaned in closer from across the table. Pressing his forehead onto the end of Reborn’s gun while that ambiguous smile blossomed on his lips. 

“I’ll die as many times as it takes to get it right then.”

#

Tonight was the battle for the ring of the mist. Reborn had said the guardians would gather when the time was right. So Tsuna showed up with Reborn and Basil before the battle started. Training hadn’t gone too well. The first task Reborn gave him was to knock Basil out but so far they were quite evenly matched. Tsuna needed to be able to last longer while in dying will mode and he had been trying to grasp the timing of controlling his spirit. 

Tiny scars and bruises littered his body but Tsuna knew he needed to pull through. They needed more. Toji and Gojo were strong but that doesn’t mean anything if the king, meaning _him_ , gets taken down. 

They were stationed inside the gym today. The indoor gym had waxed floors prepared for basketball and a stage at the far end of the room. It was brightly lit and it doesn’t look like the Cervellos did anything extravagant to the place like they did for the other battles. Tsuna’s friends were all waiting inside already. 

“Tsuna!” they greeted him. 

“Yamamoto-kun, are you alright?” Tsuna asked. The black haired teen had bandages on his face, especially around his right eye that was cut by a shred of flying concrete during his battle.

“Ramario-san said it was going to be fine.”

Gokudera came towards them and he poked his head towards the direction of the door. “Hey, where’s that guy?”

“Ah, Toji-san is—”

“He’s busy tonight.” An arm dropped over Tsuna’s shoulder from behind. Gojo stood behind the shorter teen and he smiled at the group. “What’s up?”

“Gojo-san?” Tsuna didn’t think the teen would be here tonight. He was supposed to be back at Jujutsu High. 

“Made that guy a deal. I paid him to go catch some shamans on the run. It’s his specialty isn’t it?” Gojo explained easily but Tsuna didn’t want to think too much about how the white haired teen managed to convince Toji in the first place.

“Is it alright to outsource your missions like this?”

“As long as Yaga doesn’t know, I’ll be fine.” Gojo meant his homeroom teacher. “Also, Getou’s out of town and I don’t really feel like writing a report on why I gotta leave schoolground on a weekday so it’s easier if they think I’m on a mission.”

Tsuna felt slightly bad for the teachers at Jujutsu High. He was sure even if Gojo did write a report himself it would be something along the lines of “watching mafia fight each other”. And he’d slap that on the desk of the poor soul that was in charge of signing it off then race out the door. 

Gojo scanned the room and he looked like an excited school child on his first field trip. 

“Tonight’s the mist fight right? I came specifically because of it.” 

“Why?” Yamamoto sounded confused. “Do you know who our mist guardian is then?”

They all turned to look at Gojo at that. Reborn hadn’t given away any clues as to who it was. 

“Nope,” he replied without any hesitation. “But I am interested in what those mafia call ‘illusionists’. They’ve got a slightly different power don’t they? A manipulation of people's five senses.” 

The gym’s door opened wider and two people came in at that moment. Tsuna gasped when he realized who they were. It was Ken and Chikusa from Kokuyou. They were Mukuro’s people. 

“What are they doing here?” Gokudera flipped out his dynamites while Yamamoto also looked surprised. 

Gojo glanced between the two groups and leaned down towards Tsuna. “What? Are they the enemies?”

Tsuna scratched his head sheepishly. “They were. But now...”

He turned to look at Reborn and the hitman nodded. “Relax, they brought the guardian of the mist with them.”

“Don’t tell me the guardian of the mist is—” Gokudera nearly choked on his own saliva as he set his dynamites away. He frowned at the Kokuyou students. “Rokudo Mukuro?”

Footsteps sounded from behind Ken and Chikusa. It was lighter than it should be and Tsuna felt like Gokudera had guessed wrong. 

“Lo nego (Negative),” the voice was too feminine to be Mukuro. “I am named Chrome. Chrome Dokuro.”

A girl with dark blue hair stood in front of them. She wore the female Kokuyou uniform, consisting of a short skirt and buttoned long sleeve top. While holding a familiar trident in her hands, there was also an eyepatch over her right eye. 

“Chrome,” Tsuna gasped. He didn’t expect to meet her again in a place like this. She smiled at him a little. 

“Don’t be stupid!” Gokudera came in between them. “She’s obviously being possessed by Mukuro. Just look at that weapon and the eyepatch!”

Tsuna stayed silent. Gokudera’s suspicion was natural. There were too many similarities and the timing of Chrome showing up with Ken and Chikusa was just too coincidental. 

“It looks like you don’t believe me...” she sighed.

And Tsuna turned to Gojo. “Gojo-san, what do you think?”

“I don’t know who this Mukuro is,” said the white haired teen as he took off his shades with a smile. “But I can tell you that all I see is a girl that seriously needs to go see Shouko. If she wants to, that is.”

That probably wasn’t good news. But they would have to discuss that another time. Their opponents were getting restless. 

“She’s not Mukuro.” Tsuna placed a hand on Gokudera’s shoulder to disrupt his glaring match with Ken. 

The silver haired teen looked hesitant but he backed off. 

Chrome moved closer to Tsuna. She was exactly how he remembered meeting her for the first time. “You spoke for me,” she said. “Thank you, boss.”

And she leaned in to leave a gentle peck on Tsuna’s cheek. 

“Eh?” The shock made Tsuna freeze on the spoke. He hadn’t been this close to a girl since Yuu died. Tsumiki didn’t count, she was a child.

The others all seemed shaken by it too. Gokudera started ranting about how Chrome needed to get away from Tsuna while Yamamoto held him down. Gojo whistled and he had his phone in his hand. 

The jujutsu sorcerer pulled Tsuna close and took a selfie. 

“What are you doing, Gojo-san?” Tsuna was sure the older teen had a picture of Chrome kissing his face on there as well. He sure was fast.

“Pissing off the old man.”

He had a huge grin when he answered and Tsuna decided...well, so long as he’s happy and not afraid of consequences, Gojo gets to do whatever he wants. 

“Boss,” Chrome called. “Am I not worthy of the position of the Guardian of the mist?”

“Ah, that’s not it.” Tsuna surveyed their strange group and his eyes landed back on Chrome. He smiled at her. “We will leave it to you then, please come back safe.”

She nodded. And the Cervello asked them all to vacate the area into that designated space caged in by the infrared lasers. 

“Then the battle between Mammon and Chrome Dokuro shall commence.”

Chrome smashed the end of her trident into the ground and the floor crumbled. 

It felt as if they were all falling towards the core of the earth but Gojo chuckled. 

“So this is jutsu...” the jujutsu sorcerer whispered quietly beside Tsuna. He was musing. “It’s not bad.”

The ground returned to normal and on the field, something that looked like vines crept out of Mammon’s cloak. They tangled upon Chrome’s body, tightening to choke the air out of her lungs. 

“You’re far too weak,” the Vaira member commented.

“Who are you talking to?” The girl appeared behind Mammon while the body that was tangled in the vines turned into basketballs. The balls bounced off the ground and rolled towards the walls. 

“Illusions...” Tsuna turned to face Reborn. “This a battle of illusion?”

“Yes,” he said. “The role of the guardian of the mist is to create something from nothing and nothing from something. They must deceive each other without stopping for breath.”

Mammon floated off the ground. “I see you’re not completely worthless after all. Then I can use this.”

The frog on their head looked like it was melting. It’s body elongated and it formed a circular ring above Mammon’s small head. Something glowed in an indigo color underneath their cloak. And Tsuna felt a hand shielding over his eyes, turning his world dimmer by a few degrees.

“That’s another Arcobaleno.” The jujutsu sorcerer stood behind him and his voice was low as he spoke. “They bear the curse of the world. It’s bad luck for you to look at their light for too long, Tsuna.”

Tsuna wondered what Gojo meant by that. Then he saw Reborn and Colonello’s pacifiers were both glowing as well. 

“So it is them.” Reborn didn’t sound surprised. “The Arcobaleno Viper. They are a great illusionist and the only one among us that is said to possess psychic abilities.”

“Psychic? So like...” Gokudera gestured towards Gojo. 

But Gojo waved his hand dismissively. “No, no. Don’t group us together. We obviously specialize in different things. ESP and jujutsu are quite different, you know?”

“So what is jujutsu then?” Colonello asked.

The teen grinned. 

Yet he didn’t go into the details as the other two Arcobalenos stared at him questioningly. Gojo let go of Tsuna when the pacifiers’ lights died down and he stuck a lollipop inside his mouth. On the battlefield, Chrome summoned giant snakes but they were no match for the slippery Mammon. 

Pillars of flames erupted from the floor, engulfing Mammon as they tried to escape but Tsuna guessed that was the problem when both sides were experts in the same field. They knew each other's weaknesses too well.

Because it would be the same as their own.

“The art of illusion takes control of other people’s perceptions. We infiltrate and govern their five senses.” Mammon floated through the air and the room suddenly got so very cold. It was as if they were standing in the North Pole. 

“Wow!” Gojo rubbed his own hands together as he shivered slightly. The pillars made of fire had been frozen over, each glistening with the frigid chills of ice. 

Ice also crept up Chrome’s trident and the weapon shattered from the cold. 

“No!” she yelled and blood dripped out of her mouth. In a second, Chrome laid on the floor with a pained look on her face.

“Hey, look!” Ryohei pointed to her abdominal area. They were caved in, as if the girl was literally physically empty on the inside.

Organs.

She was missing her organs.

That was why Gojo said she needed to go see a reverse technique wielder. 

“It looks like her life was being sustained by illusionary organs.” Mammon observed. They sounded impressed.

Tsuna guessed now would be his chance. His fingers twitched and his hand went to the side of his left wrist. There was something wrapped around his left arm. From his shoulder to his wrist was a centipede with a bright orange shell. It’s mandible was sharp and poisonous.

That was the plan. He’d release it and let it attack Mammon. If the opponent goes down in the middle of the battle due to a stroke or heart attack, then it would still be Chrome’s win so long as the girl was still conscious enough. 

All he had to do was take off the talisman that was making the cursed spirit docile. Gojo must have noticed him doing so and the white haired teen smiled. 

“Mukuro-sama” Chrome whispered. 

And both Gojo and Tsuna looked up. 

Fog and white smoke emitted from Chrome’s body. 

“Is she trying to pull one last move?” Belphegor asked. Mammon backed away but they didn’t look particularly worried.

“Tsunayoshi~” Gojo slapped a hand down on Tsuna’s hand. The one that was about to release the cursed spirit. “Something’s coming.”

“That’s Mukuro.”

“Wait, Tsuna.” Yamamoto turned to face them. “What are you saying.”

“Mukuro’s coming.”

And true enough, they all heard that familiar laugh. 

The ground chipped around Mammon and the Arcobaleno got hit by pieces of flying wood. They landed on the ground.

“Kufufu...” There was no longer any sight of Chrome. A teenage male stood where she was supposed to be. “I have come back from the other side of the cycle.”

Tsuna wasn’t sure how he felt. The one that had caused his school and friends a lot of pain had come back. 

Mammon got up. “Rokudo Mukuro...that’s right. Someone attempted to break out from the Vindice’s prison a while back and they failed. That was you.” 

“But I’m right here aren’t I?” Mukuro questioned.

And his body began to be cladded in ice as Mammon charged towards him. 

“You’re nothing but an illusion created by that girl.”

Right before the two collided, vines and lotus flowers blossomed upon Mammon’s small body. They were tangled in a web and they struggled to get free.

“This power...he’s the real deal isn’t he?” Gokudera asked. 

Mammon’s body split into many. Multiple Mammons dispersed into all directions but Mukuro smashed the real one into the ground. There was the flame dancing in his eye. The state of shura.

“An illusionist that resorts to hand to hand combat is a joke!” Mammon floated back into the air and the ground started spinning. There was no longer up or down, right or left...it was just a world of disorientation. 

Then flames erupted all over the place when Mukuro countered. It was as if they had stepped into a world of fantasies. A war happening in Alice in Wonderland. 

“Eh, I’m not feeling so good.” Ryohei held his hand in his hand. The others don’t look any better. Even the Varia members weren’t smiling. Tsuna also felt a dull pain in his head. 

“The effects of the illusions have been affecting all of us since the battle started.” Reborn and Colonelleo were off the ground, carried by the eagle. 

The only one amongst them that was still probably unaffected was Gojo, whose six eyes let him see through all the facades. Tsuna felt himself stumbled a bit as his vision went hazy. 

He fell forward, falling just as Gojo caught him.

“Tsunayoshi?”

“Something...is in my head.” Tsuna saw it. A dark and desolate room filled with liquid. A prison made of water. And there, in the center was Mukuro, chained and locked, sealed in the suffocating liquid like canned fruit.

The scene shifted. He saw Ken. He saw Chikusa. The Vindice showed up and then Tsuna saw his father. Iemitsu was there to make Mukuro a deal. In exchange for protection for his people, Mukuro agreed to be the mist. 

_A memory?_

“...Mukuro.” Tsuna huffed as the images stopped. He looked up and saw the battle had reached its climax. Mukuro was holding the rings in his hand while Mammon looked like he was being estranged by his own pet frog. 

“That one,” Gojo said while pointing to Mukuro. “He smells like hell.”

“He’s been through there a few times, according to him.” Tsuna got up. 

“Cool!” The jujutsu sorcerer ruffled Tsuna’s hair as he was checking the other teen still had his head screwed on right. “What an interesting guy. I think the old farts back home need to talk with him some. It doesn’t hurt to hear about what the place they’re going to soon looks like from an expert right?”

And Mammon burst into pieces at that moment. Mukuro stood in the center of the explosion with the complete ring in his hand. “Is this acceptable?”

The Cervellos shared a glance. “Yes. The winner is Chrome Dokuro.”

“Gojo-san, is Mammon really...unalive?” Tsuna didn’t think they needed to go that far. 

“Kufufu, still sympathetic towards the enemy I see. Always trying to run even though you have been dealt such a good hand of cards.” Mukuro turned to the brown haired teen but his eyes were on Gojo. “The baby is alive. They escaped.”

As if proving his point, Xanxus ordered, “Go eliminate Mammon after the battle. Gola Mosca.”

And his words made everyone turn to him. 

“I might not be a nice human being but you sure represent all the dark side of the Mafia,” commented Mukuro. “Well, a piece of advice Xanxus. The other candidate might be a lot smaller and much more stupid than you but he isn’t someone to be messed with either. That would end very badly for you.”

Hearing those words from Mukuro’s mouth was oddly unsettling. 

Mukuro approached them. His eerie red eye was pinpointed on Tsuna as he held the ring of the mist out. “Sawada Tsunayoshi.”

“Mukuro,” Tsuna greeted with a rigid nod.

“The only reason why I became your mist guardian is so I can be in a better position to steal your body.”

Lies.

And Gojo must know it too because he was giggling slightly. 

Tsuna sighed. “In any case, thank you.”

He didn’t need to release the cursed spirit thanks to Mukuro showing up. 

Mukuro’s form wavered and he fell on the floor, returning back to Chrome again. The girl was sound asleep. She laid on the floor with all her organs intact (at least, it looked like it). 

Ken and Chikusa lost their joy when they saw Mukuro disappear. They turned to leave, leaving Chrome alone. Tsuna didn’t think it was right to ditch her like this, on the cold floor of the gym in the dark of the night. But neither of the two Kokuyou teens looked like they were in the mood to discuss how to be a gentleman. 

Tsuna tilted his head to the side.He guessed that he could take Chrome to a hospital for now. At least let her sleep on a proper bed for the night. She did lose a lot of organs for a short period of time. 

“Tsuna, don’t forget what Mukuro tried to do to you.” Reborn’s warning sounded from beside him. 

The hitman was worried about that? Tsuna just shook his head and supported Chrome off the ground. 

“Mukuro is Mukuro. Chrome is Chrome.” Even if their fates were entangled right now, their wills are still separate things. 

Reborn didn’t say anything else then. 

“Hey,” Xanxus’s deep voice came from the other side of the gym. Surprisingly, the Vaira haven’t left yet. “That white hair trash over there...you’re the one with the Limitless aren’t you? The move that you used to beat Levi was the red glow.”

“You talking to me, scar face?” Gojo smirked when the other Varia members took offense. “Looks like the Varia’s intel team is a bit better than I thought.”

“People tend to notice when you kill quite a lot. Those trash that deal with all the voodoo shit are scared of you.”

Now this was new. Tsuna didn’t think the mafia would be able to dig so deep. The technique of the Gojo family was well known since they were an old family. Information leaks when they get over used. But for outsiders like Xanxus...looks like they’ve got some pretty big mouths among the shamans.

Gojo must be thinking the same thing too. But his answer was cheeky as always. “Well, aren’t I just popular all around?”

His attitude certainly was pissing Xanxus off. Gola Mosca also moved behind him. There was steam and some sparks emitting from their joints. Xanxus looked like he was about to speak but whatever the man wanted to say was cut short when Gojo pointed to Tsuna. “We are at a tie right now, so if we win the next battle, our side wins the entire thing right? Are you prepared to admit defeat then?”

Hearing that, Xanxus smiled. It was still a scary smile as the joy never reached his cold eyes. “Sure, if we lose the next one I will honor Vongola’s tradition and hand over everything to that brat.”

Tsuna frowned. He didn’t need a promise like that. Yet Gojo stopped him from speaking. The white haired teen hid his blue eyes behind his shade as he pushed Tsuna out of the gym along with the rest of their friends. “Then we’re done for the night. Let’s all go home.”

“Are you scared of answering my questions?” Xanxus didn’t like the way the jujutsu sorcerer was avoiding their questions. 

“Scared? Nah. I just don’t want to go through the trouble of explaining things to dimwits.” And he pointed his fingers out to disperse the man’s flames shooting towards them. The embers left burn marks on the wooden floor beside the door.

“You’re really testing my patience, trash.” 

Gojo grinned. “Right back at you. Now, don’t say I didn’t warn you but that curse of theirs...now’s not the time for it. How do those psychic grannies usually put it? Ah, yeah! In due time all shall reveal itself!”

_Huh?_

Tsuna looked at him questioningly but Gojo merely patted him on the head. 

“Gaslighting freaks,” Xanxus huffed and the Varia members backed off. 

Gojo ushered Tsuna’s group out towards the front gates. But he lingered behind Tsuna a bit, moving from side to side as if he was assessing Tsuna. 

“Something wrong?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Gojo hummed as he placed a hand on his chin. “Quick question though, how many sharp and dangerous objects does Fushiguro own?”

Tsuna thought for a moment. “Um, too many to count?” 

“Good, cause I have a feeling he’s going to need all of them soon.” 

That didn’t sound good no matter how Tsuna tried to understand it.

“Wait, Gojo-san! What do you mean?” He grabbed onto the other teen right before Gojo lifted off the ground. 

“You’ll probably find out tomorrow.” Gojo shrugged. “I’m not too sure myself. Just tell your cloud guardian to be careful when he fights. Gotta go now, can’t have Yaga find out I was gone!”

With that, he vanished into the night. 

Tsuna sighed. He really hoped this was just another spontaneous episode the world’s strongest jujutsu sorcerer was going through again. 

Otherwise, he has a feeling that he was going to be digging graves tomorrow. The only question left was for who.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to complain about life:
> 
> WHY THE FUCK IS IT SO BUSY THIS TIME OF THE YEAR???????!!!!!!


	38. Ring Battles - 6

36

Learning how to use the zero point break was harder than Tsuna thought it would be. The teen climbed back on his feet from the hole in the ground. He doesn’t remember how many times he had been smashed into the dirt. 

“Lord Sawada, are you alright?” Basil leaned down to lend him a hand. Tsuna took it and climbed out. 

“I’m fine. Let’s go again.”

The cloud battle was going on right now. Tsuna knew they didn’t have much time left. Xanxus had agreed to abdicate his right as the successor too easily. That meant he had faith that Gola Mosca would win against Hibari. 

Tsuna wanted to believe in the demonic perfect. But it can’t help to be more careful.

“If we keep going, your body might break.” Basil looked hesitant to continue. They had collided in battle for many times and even though either side aimed to kill, the damages were still extensive. 

“I can still move.” His muscles hurt but his head was clear. Just then, he felt like he caught a feeling. Something with the way the flames flowed sparked a thought. He doesn’t know what it was exactly yet. “Basil,” Tsuna said as the flames returned on his forehead. “One more time.”

#

He was going to murder the Gojo’s boy again one day. And this time, he was going to make sure the effects were _permanent_.

The teen had popped by in front of his home and handed him a file. There was a picture of a man with a goatee inside. Toji didn’t know who it was but he didn’t care either.

“Go kill him,” Gojo said that as if he was telling Toji to go pick up milk from the grocery store.

“I don’t work for free.” 

“Don’t think of this one as free then. I’ll give you information in exchange.” The jujutsu sorcerer shrugged. “You killed his partner in crime a few years back. He’s looking for revenge.”

“So?” That wasn’t news. There were probably quite a few that would want to put his head on a stake within the shamans’ community. 

“The Varia has been looking into you. Word on the street is that they are looking for someone that knows how to deal with curses. You and Tsunayoshi have been rigging the games haven’t you? So that guy is coming to volunteer.”

That would be a problem.

Also, Toji didn’t like the idea of these loonies getting too close. If they were just targeting Tsuna and him that would be fine. But most of these shamans weren’t exactly the spare the innocent types. They’d curse everyone that ever crossed path with Toji until not even a pile of recognizable corpses was left.

And Tsuna wouldn’t like that.

He would certainly lose his shit if the shaman came after people he knew. The teen wouldn’t run. Not when his _friends_ were in danger.

_Fuck._

Gojo lifted a smile when he realized Toji understood what needed to be done. “Don’t worry, I’ll go protect Tsunayoshi in your place tonight during the mist battle. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Nothing to worry about his ass.

The Gojo’s boy was practically emitting the thought that Toji was just a pebble in the way and an eyesore that needed to be burnt out of the picture. 

“Step out of line and I’ll shank you with your own spine,” the man threatened as he pushed past Gojo roughly. The white haired teen gave him a lopsided grin when they moved past each other.

“I’ll take that as a challenge!”

And indeed he did.

Toji felt the veins pop along his forehead as the happy dings went off on his phone continuously. Picture after picture of a smug Gojo and Tsuna bombarded his phone as if they were trying to make the device explode. Also, was that...a girl kissing Tsuna?

A small gear inside his head stopped turning for a second.

“Sorcerer Killer…” the man beneath Toji wheezed with immense hatred. Blood spilled onto the ground from his moving lips while Toji stomped his foot down on the man’s chest. Hard. 

Something cracked. 

Then Toji drove the sword into the man with a goatee’s throat with just a little too much force while on autopilot. There was a gurgling sound as red foam leaked from the man’s mouth. Then he went limp, flaccid on the ground but the battle wasn't over yet.

Oops, he shouldn’t have killed the guy so soon. The man hadn't endured enough pain to deactivate his technique yet.

Toji set his phone away.

Figures made of metal closed in on him. They were shaped like humans. Although they were nothing but a collection of trash yet the numbers were going to pose some trouble. He sighed, wonderful, a cursed technique that had gone berserker was just what he needed right now.

Well, the faster he got this over with, the sooner he could get back. And if he was lucky, he would get a chance to put a knife through Gojo’s skull. And this time, he will remember to chop the kid’s head off after he’s done.

# 

Toji stood on the outskirts of the battlefield for the ring of the cloud. The teens were rowdy as usual, forming their huddle. The remaining Vaira members were there too, the blond, Xanxus, and the one Gojo defeated (that guy was surprisingly sturdy). He saw the girl in the picture Gojo sent him sitting on the grass as well. 

He didn’t approach her. Toji wasn’t petty enough to mess with the girl just because she kissed Tsuna.

Meanwhile, the dark haired kid that Toji beat up at school the other day stepped into the field the Cervellos had prepared. The boy was a good fighter. He learned quickly through battle and Toji didn’t think they needed to worry about him. The Sorcerer Killer would much rather go check on Tsuna’s progress but something Gojo said made him change his mind.

_“It’s a trap.”_

“What trap?”

"Xanxus made a bind with me," Gojo had said over the phone. His tone had lost that usual playfulness. “If we win the next one then he will hand over everything to Tsunayoshi. But that sounds too easy doesn’t it?”

Toji would have to agree. “He’s got something else planned?” 

There was no other explanation. If the man knew about Gojo’s technique, he would have heard about making a promise to a jujutsu sorcerer. Yet he still made a vow without hesitation. 

“I don’t know what it is yet but it’s got something to do with that mechanical frankenstein. There’s something inside it and I think it might be connected to Tsunayoshi.”

But that baby hitman said Tsuna needed to train. He needed to perfect whatever special move with the flames. 

So Toji came to Namimori Middle alone. He hadn’t actually paid their opponents too much attention. He knew what they were capable of for sure but he didn’t spend energy on studying their physical appearances. But now, he stared at the machine of a man with slight curiosity. It was fully mechanical no matter how you look at it. From the mask to joints in its fingers. It even smelled like oil and metal. 

However, Toji didn’t feel threatened.

A machine that was built to kill didn’t illicit at least some sense of danger? That group of assassins wouldn’t bring it along if it couldn’t do its job. 

Toji narrowed his eyes at the smirk on Xanxus’s lips. The Gojo’s brat was right, they definitely have a problem.

The battle ended in a flash.

Hibari defeated the machine guardian without breaking a sweat. The kid was better than Toji remembered. He must have gone through some good training as well. 

"Now then, I’m going to bite the monkey king to death." Hibari lifted his tonfas at Xanxus after the Cervellos had announced the winner. 

The two collided on the battlefield. The other Varia members looked like they wanted to join in but they hesitated because they lost the ring battle. Tsuna’s side was in the lead now and Xanxus had promised he would hand over everything willingly. 

_As if._

Toji ran his thumb over the scar on his lips as he watched the other dark haired man stand across from Hibari. 

"We’ve lost. I came to retrieve the junk." 

That smile certainly didn’t look like it was suitable for a loser.

The Sorcerer Killer fired the gun in his hand and the bullet shot past Xanxus’s ear. 

“You made a bind with the Gojo’s boy, didn't you? I would think Varia's boss would know better than to break a bound.” Toji aimed the gun at the man with a smile. Xanxus wasn’t like him or Tsuna, the man still had a normal level of cursed energy just like the majority of the world. He entered a bind with a jujutsu sorcerer so there were bound to be consequences if he didn’t honour that promise. 

“I didn’t say I am not accepting the results. I’d gladly hand over the rings.” He even demonstrated by throwing his half of the sky ring to the Cervellos.

Trouble.

Toji didn’t know what the other man had planned but it can’t be anything good now that he mentioned Tsuna’s name. Maybe it would be better if Toji broke a few of Xanxus’s limbs first. They needed a live scapegoat to take the boss’s position, but Tsuna never said anything about it having to be a healthy one.

“Hey, stay out of my fight!” Hibari barked at Toji before charging towards Xanxus. 

And the two danced around in the battlefield. Xanxus would dodge Hibari’s attacks while they waltzed through the shower of bullets coming at them. The landmines the Cervellos set up sent off one by one. Explosion and smoke filled the field.

 _Why was Xanxus provoking him?_

Toji scanned their surroundings. There were no snipers or ambushes waiting for them. Tsuna wasn’t here either so Xanxus can’t be planning to kill him yet. So, all that was left was...Gola Mosca. 

The ground trembled as multiple explosions went off simultaneously. The teens ducked low to keep their balance while Hibari’s leg looked injured by some laser lights.

“What a terrible disaster. I came to get our junk but Sawada’s cloud guardian was in my way. Now, Gola Mosca’s restraining system has been broken.” Xanxus’s laughter could be heard through the chaos. 

“That bastard! He just wanted to kill everyone and make it look like an accident!” Gokudera got up with his fists clenched to his side. 

Was that his plan? Killing everyone on Tsuna’s side doesn’t sound very useful now. Varia still lost the ring battles so Tsuna was going to be the tenth. Toji yanked the kid with the lawn head back before he could race into the battlefield. 

“Hey! Chrome is—”

“Pipe down and stay put.”

Toji saw the three figures inside the field. They were laying down on the ground as Gola Mosca and the machine guns locked them on target. He reached for the cursed spirit around his torso and threw the weapon it barfed up.

The long spear went through the machine gun and embedded into the ground beneath, destroying it before it could fire. 

But Toji didn’t stop the berserker Gola Mosca.

Someone else was already on that. 

Orange flames erupted like a wall between the Kokuyou students and Gola Mosca. A hand cladded in a metal glove waved through the lingering smoke and Tsuna stood on the field.

“Tsuna!” the brown haired teen’s friends shouted happily.

But this was no time to be cheerful. Countless missiles shot out of Gola Mosca’s back and flew towards the teen. Tsuna’s flames flared up and he was into the air. It was a magnificent sight. The missile exploded in mid air as their shells were disintegrated by the fire. The teen flew through the sky and his fist came in contact with the center of its chest. They crashed into the ground and sent dirt flying all over the place. 

Toji whistled. Whatever training the baby hitman sent Tsuna through worked pretty well. 

The beat up pile of metal got up, boosted by fire coming out of its lower limbs. Smoke emitted off its torn body parts while wires dragged across the ground, sending electrical sparks flying everywhere dangerously. 

Toji appeared behind the machine man and sliced the spear through it. It stopped before Tsuna as the pieces broke apart. 

“Toji-san,” Tsuna called as the man landed beside him.

His ears picked something up then. A noise that shouldn’t be there. 

Something alive was inside.

A man fell out of the ruined machine.He was tied up and had wires connected on his body. The man was more on the elderly side, with white hair and beard. His chest was burnt and there was blood coming out of his mouth. Internal damages. Toji’s spear hadn’t cut deep enough so the old man hadn’t been split in half.

But his pulse was weak and his body looked frail. At least, he was a lot skinnier than the old geezer that runs the Zenin Clan. Considering the level of noise from the running engines and the chaos of the battles, no wonder Toji hadn’t picked up on the sound of a man’s heart ticking inside Gola Mosca.

“There’s a guy inside?” someone questioned from the sidelines.

“This man...he’s the Ninth?” Tsuna blinked a few times as he tried to register the situation. The old man certainly looked like the one in the picture Reborn had shown him. “Why is he inside Gola Mosca?”

Reborn was in front of them with a medical kit within seconds. His expression was dark as he studied the Ninth. “I have only seen Gola Mosca’s design once...it looks like the Ninth was forced to be its power source. This isn’t something that can be treated with a first aid kit.”

There was an uproar of shock from everyone else. 

And Xanxus’s cold laughter broke through the air. “You have gone and killed the Ninth, Sawada.”

Tsuna knelt down beside the injured old man to check his vitals. There was still a heartbeat and he was breathing so the teen concluded, “He’s not fully dead. Close, but not yet.”

Toji snickered while Xanxus choked on air a little. The flames on Tsuna’s forehead dyed out as he shifted closer to Toji. The teen looked tired already, thanks to the rigorous training he went through. 

However, the main concern right now was... 

“If you already had the Ninth, what’s the point of the ring battles then? You really couldn’t have just killed the man, faked a will and declared yourself boss?” Toji really couldn’t understand and neither could Tsuna. “Like, this could have been resolved by a lawyer with a fancy pen and some stamps? What’s the point of making it look like Tsuna’s fault for killing the old fart?”

His words made Xanxus narrowed his eyes and growled in a low yet threatening voice. But the one that spoke wasn’t him.

“The one at fault was me.”

They looked down. Vongola Ninth was struggling to stay conscious. His eyes were turbid, yet they contained a hint of softness even while he was in pain. “We finally got to meet but it is my weakness that allowed things to progress to this state. It’s all my fault for allowing Xanxus to wake up from his sleep.”

The Varia and Reborn’s atmosphere changed at that. And they went on to talk about something called the Cradle Affair. From the sounds of it, it was a coup d’etat that failed and was swept under the rug because of shame.

And the loser was left harboring his hatred and feeding his grudge. It was the perfect breeding ground for curses. 

Typical. 

Boring. 

“Tsunayoshi...I have been hearing news about you,” the Ninth reached a shaking hand out towards the teen. “About your school, friends...and the one you love. I’m sorry, we didn’t understand it before.”

Now that was a surprise to Toji. The geezer, this great mafia man, was admitting a wrong? But as he studied the aged lines on the mafia boss’s face, he understood. 

_Ah, that’s how it is then._

What makes a perfect lie? A lie fabricated from truth of course. 

He watched as a flickering flame lit up on the old man’s wrinkled finger. It was barely an ember, even a match from the convenience store probably burned brighter than it. 

“You care for those around you deeply. You’re a child with a heart that is really mismatched for a mafia boss. That is why I chose you to be the Tenth Boss of Vongola.”

The flames touched Tsuna’s forehead. Then it got dimmer and dimmer until it completely gave out. 

“Wait!” Tears poured from Tsuna’s eyes as the old man shut his. The teen’s hands reached for his forehead, and he buried his face within his palms. 

“How dare you kill the Ninth boss?” Xanxus’s voice boomed across the field. His expression was a blank state as he recited what Toji assumed was a pre-planned script. “Now the boss has been murdered, for him, my father, and the future of Vongola...I will kill you and your aid to avenge him.” 

It didn’t matter if the phrasing was awkward for a moment like this. The Cervellos were the ones writing the narrative. 

“I see,” Reborn said grimly. “If Xanxus only won the ring battles, those that knew of the Cradle Affair would still object to his succession. But if he made Tsuna the villain then things are completely different. It would allow him to gain the majority vote.”

And he weaseled his way out of the promise he made to Gojo too. Xanxus _did_ gave up the rings but he never made a promise to not challenge Tsuna again to get them back.

It wasn’t a bad plan. While it was a lot of effort and time consuming, it was what needed to be done in Xanxus’s position. It all comes down to dignity and saving face. All the winners in history did it. They left out the bits of truth that would damage their image. They were the righteous, the good and the godsent. All the nasty things they did were justified in the name of vengeance and defeating the evil. 

They were wronged and they prevailed. A true sob story worthy as a legend’s origin. 

Toji wondered what they should do now. The baby hitman was obviously ticked off but he was going to honor his promise that he wouldn’t interfere with his student’s battles. Meanwhile, Toji has a few thoughts but it would depend on Tsuna. 

To every one’s surprise, Tsuna started laughing. The teen got up and his eyes peeked through his fingers. There was a rare darkness within those carmel eyes tinted with gold and orange. 

“Is this a joke?” the teen asked as he wiped the tears away. “Because I am not like a mafia boss so he chose me to do it? What kind of logic was that? Sorry?I guess he wasn’t sorry enough to stop this circus show then.”

Fire erupted on his hands along with the venom in his words. There was no sorrow or guilt on the teen’s face as he faced Xanxus, who looked slightly surprised. 

“And you, Xanxus. Were you expecting a little more tears and a mental breakdown from me?”

“Tsuna...” Reborn started as he realized Tsuna wasn’t in the complete right state of mind at the moment.

“Shush,” Tsuna said as he placed a finger to his lips. “It’s him. He was the one who sealed me. Do you have any idea what I had to go through because of it? I don’t even know how many times I almost died because of it. He is sorry? Then all these years, have he ever considered even for a second about the consequences of what he had done? He might say all these nicely sugar coated things but he is no better than my father! They don’t care about me, all they cared for is an heir and someone to fix their mistakes!”

Well, he hasn’t seen this in a while. 

A tantrum.

That was all this was. Toji wasn’t sure if the old man had unlocked something within Tsuna or not, but the teen’s emotions were pouring out. Like a cup that had been filled to the brim but now it had a hole in it. And everything would come loose without control.

“Hey, easy there.” Toji pressed Tsuna’s head towards his chest. The kid was a lot warmer than usual but Toji didn’t dislike the heat. Fire danced across his vision. The embers flickered through the night’s air and lit up their surrounding.

“Even if you tried to deny it, you’d still be seen as an enemy to Vongola.” Xanxus doesn’t look scared or freaked out by the turn of events. In fact, he certainly welcomed the chaos. “I’ll write your name down in history as the villain who got the miserable ending they deserved.”

Speaking of villains, Toji thinks he should do the honor of delivering the fatal blow to the Ninth. He said he was going to skin the ones that sealed Tsuna, so he might as well start with the dying old fart.

But he might have to get rid of Reborn first if the hitman tried to interfere. So many people to kill tonight, the clean up was going to be a hassle. 

Tsuna pushed away from Toji slightly. It seemed like he was back in control of his sanity.

“You should take him to the hospital while you can.” To the Sorcerer Killer’s disappointment, Tsuna pointed to the Ninth while talking to Basil and Reborn. “He’s got half his body in the coffin so I can’t care less about him right now. But you’d better start the tug of war with death if you want him alive tomorrow morning.”

His words were...Wicked? Cruel? Maybe they were everything in between. It certainly didn’t sit well with the Reborn and the likes of Basil. But they said nothing. Because they must know. They knew about the bullying, the neglect, and how the teen had continuously rejected the idea of becoming boss. So can they blame him? Can they blame Tsuna for not...being what Vongola needs?

Of course not. 

“Finally going to show your true colors, Sawada?” Xanxus laughed. “I guess the Ninth really got blind with old age. He thought he had picked a good guy with a heart for peace.”

“He thought, they thought...why do you people always assume things? I am just another kid trying to live my life. I don’t want to put my friends’ lives at stake and I don’t care about what goes on with the mafia. It’s that simple.”

The tension was thick in the air. The Varia members had pulled out their weapons while the teens on their side looked ready to fight. They were the targets too. 

“Please hold it,” the Cervellos said. “We will be in charge of the battle for the right of succession to the Vongola name as we hold an official decree from the Ninth himself.”

“You force the Ninth to give you that!” Basil shouted. 

The girls in pink hair held their hands up and there was a piece of paper with fire glowing on it. “Please watch your mouth as we will also be recording everything that was said during these events. In the Ninth’s name, we shall declare this the sky ring battle.”

“The sky ring battle in the name of avenging the Ninth?” Toji pulled out another sword from his weapons storage. “There is no need for such a thing. We’ve all had enough of this rubbish, don’t you think?”

All eyes turned on him and he only smiled.

Tsuna started laughing. It was the same soft laughter that had accompanied Toji on the job when he was still just a teenager. 

“What’s the order, Tsuna?” he asked.

The teen pointed a finger at the Cervellos first. And the words that came out of his pretty lips were sweeter than honey. “Let’s curse them all.”

A wise choice. Take out the judges first and they would write their own narratives. 

Toji bowed dramatically with a wide grin on his face. “As you wish, boss.”

So the heads started rolling. Pink locks of hair made contact with the dirt while blood stained Toji’s blade. There was a scream and the bodies fell on the ground in a pool of crimson. It was raining a viscous red. 

Now this was something Toji was familiar with.

“Who’s next?” He pointed his blade to the other two Varia members. 

Closer to the school buildings, Tsuna collided with Xanxus too. The Vaira boss had sent Tsuna flying with a hard kick. Then a flame that was a darker shade of red exploded from Xanxus’s palm and disintegrated a section of the school. 

That power. He could outmatch a grade two curse with that level of firepower. 

“It’s the flame of wrath.” It was Reborn’s voice. The teens had scrambled as the battle broke out. Toji could see the silver haired kid and the one with the sword running towards him. 

He remembered now. They said the dying will flame was unique to each user. This flame of wrath was a destructive power the second Vongola used. 

“You really want to die that badly?” Xanxus held out his hand while Tsuna came flying down with his fist raised. Their fists crashed into each other and an explosion shook the whole school. 

Xanxus went flying. And Toji got distracted when the blond’s knives started showering. 

“The prince will give your head to Boss as a gift.”

“I would say the same but I don’t think there’s too much value in your head is there?”

That was probably not the right thing to say. Toji ducked out of the way as the blades came down. Taking the opportunity, the one they called “Levi” closed in. His umbrella came down at Toji’s shoulder but it was deflected by a katana.

“Can we call us even now?” Yamamoto laughed.

“Just try not to die tonight either,” Toji replied easily. 

Explosions went off and Levi backed away. Gokudera arrived as well. “Hey, go help Tsuna! We got these guys covered.”

Hibari was already facing off the prince. Blood seeped from the slashes on his body but he didn’t look like he was going to back down just yet.

The fight between Tsuna and Xanxus had turned into an all out air battle. They were maneuvering through the air, propelled at high speeds by their flames. Xanxus was wielding two guns and each shot he fired held enough force to match a cannon’s. Parts of the school became destroyed as the scent of smoke filled the air. Toji also felt something shifted. An off balance in power that twisted the air. 

His eyes found the direction of the gym and he caught a glimpse of the girl in the Kokuyou uniform and Ryohei with the indigo Arcobaleno. 

_The Arcobaleno came back._

It was an all out battle with no rules. The boxer joined in while Basil went to help the Ninth boss. Toji would go dispose of the illusionist first but Tsuna crashed into the space in front of him. The brown haired teen had bruises all over his body as he suffered the damages from avoiding direct hits by the flame of wrath. 

“Is that all your fire could do?” Xanxus questioned as he landed on the roof. “The first’s zero point break? Don’t make me laugh! How could a move make its user suffer such extensive damage? You trash should just lie down and die!”

Tsuna wiped the blood from his lips and the flames on his body flickered. His face was blank, almost unreadable. But when he opened his mouth, there was that unspoken tone the Sorcerer Killer knew all too well. 

“Toji-san, the spear.”

“Got it.”

Toji’s body shot forward. There was the long spear in his hand again and it crashed right into Xanxus’s gun. Xanxus backed away, the hand he used to block was quivering slightly as he moved into the sky. A shot was fired. The heat grazed past Toji’s body as he slipped past the beam of fire and light. He was losing momentum as he started falling. 

The spear exchanged hands in mid air.

Tsuna flew past Toji and he swung the spear to hit Xanxus out of the sky. The man crashed down into the field. Tsuna accelerated his descent. His flames left a trial of blazing orange behind him as his knee landed on Xanxus’s throat. Well, not actually on his throat. Xanxus raised a hand to block just in time. The sharp end of the spear drove into the ground beside Xanxus’s ear while Tsuna had both hands clenching the weapon tight. 

“Xanxus, we’re going to talk like civilized people.” The teen leaned down. Dark eyes locked with caramel gold. Tsuna’s voice was lighter than it should be. Too brisky and contained too little care for the world. 

“Or what? You worthless bastards!” Fire that originated from fury exploded between them. Tsuna was blown back while Xanxus stood up. The scar on his face seemed to have grown in proportions. They took over his skin like a horrendous mask from hell. “There is no way I am going to lose to a fake like you that can’t even fight me on his own. I am the tenth bass of Vongola!”

And the brightest firework Toji has ever seen bursted out from the man’s body. The fire consumed everything in its path. It sent a dark haze of smoke up in the air and everything smelled like ashes and gunpowder. 

The scent of a battlefield.

Toji lent a hand to help Tsuna get up from the rubble. “Still alive?”

“Yeah.” 

That was obviously not an overstatement. Tsuna was alive but he didn’t have much stamina to keep going. They would have to end the battle fast yet Xanxus doesn’t look like he was going to lie down anytime soon. Judging by how the cursed spear had turned to ash, this Varia boss’s power was on the level of a grade one curse now. So Tohi reached a hand towards his cursed spirit.

Only, Tsuna stopped him. 

“No special grade cursed tools,” the teen said. “I have to beat him Vongola style.”

_Ha._

Tsuna still believed they could make something out of this mess. Could they? Can they? Toji doesn’t know.

Across from them. Xanxus’s fire raged on. 

“You and that senile old geezer both disgust me. Die in despair for daring to defy me, Sawada!”

Tsuna held his hands out in front of his chest. The pose was something new. Something different than what he had used earlier tonight.

“Zero point breakthrough, revised.”

Xanxus’s attack dispersed. No, it was absorbed. 

The fire on Tsuna’s hands grew larger, as if it had been fed fuel. Toji got close to Xanxus and swept his feet out from under him, but that wasn’t enough to stop the mafia man. Xanxus fired a shot at Toji’s direction while his body was off balance. The Sorcerer Killer flipped backwards, avoiding the fate of getting a hole in his chest. Tsuna had caught up to Xanxus then. The two collided and the impact sent the guns flying out of Xanxus’s hands. 

Both of the candidates for Vongola tenth were not looking so graceful or elegant any longer. They were more primal as they attacked each other with their fists and feet. Blood and fire consumed their bodies as the ground beneath them cracked. Stones and pebbles went soaring, the violent winds scratched at their exposed skin. 

And hands covered in scars met with the hands cladded in gloves. 

Tsuna and Xanxus were locked in a stalemate as the heat clashed between their palms. Their teeths were clenched while the muscles in their bodies groaned from the overuse. Their fingers intertwined as the flames built up between them.

Finally, the whole world exploded in a blinding white light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm...I'm kind of tired of the ring battles so I'm going to wrap it up in the next chapter or two. 
> 
> Tsuna is just done with Vongola at this point. 
> 
> Also, been seeing a lot of ppl hating on adult x minor fictional ships (on other sites) lately. Looks down at what I am writing and well, guess I'm going to burn in hell ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. But honestly, liking problematic ships doesn't mean I'm going to be in one or support real life pedos. Watching all these bloody anime and mangas haven't made me a serial killer yet either now did it?
> 
> Back to KHR, I don't like the way Timoteo talked in canon. I get that he is old and he wants someone to change the way the mafia does things but picking a civilian child to do it is a bit...of a wild gamble? Also, he kind of fucked up big time by allowing Xanxus to think he is a blood born son. what's wrong with telling the man he's adopted from the start?


	39. Ring Battles - 7

37

Tsuna could feel the heat left his world. His body ached. The bruises from crashing into the concrete school buildings and landing flat on the dirt grounds made it felt like his bones were going to fall apart any second. He could smell burnt hair and fabric, smoke filled his nostrils while the light stung his retinas. 

But now, the fire was gone. 

Encased in ice, frozen solid at the center of the field was Xanxus. It started from his hands, then the ice crept up his arms and covered his body from below the neck.

Vongola First’s zero point breakthrough. A technique that reverses the state of the dying will flames. He had finally managed to pull it off. 

“Impossible! How dare you!” Xanxus screamed with disbelief. “How could trash like you master Vongola’s ultimate technique?” He started struggling, trying to break free of the ice even as if it felt like his skin was going to be torn off. “There’s no way I would lose the boss’s seat to a kid like you!”

“You should stop struggling or else it would hurt more than the scars the Ninth gave you.”

Hearing Tsuna’s voice only made the man hate him even more. His rage was renewed and the fire in his blood red eyes would terrify even the worst of criminals. “Shut up! I would never submit to you trash. I am the one and only true Decimo!”

“I never had any intention to be boss.” Tsuna got closer as he took off his halve of the sky ring. “I said it before didn’t I? I would have given you the rings willingly if you accepted my deal. But to you, gaining the favorable vote from the family in order to set up a dictatorship was more important wasn’t it? This ring…” He showed it to the injured man. “It could have been yours from the start without this shitshow. In fact, it still can.”

His words made everyone that had gathered on the field pause. Even Xanxus quieted down and stared at him. 

“What?”

“I’m not fit to be mafia, even your father said so himself.” The teen turned around but he didn’t see Basil or the Ninth. Maybe the other teen had taken the old man to a hospital already. “I don’t want to be part of your world. You can still be boss...like I said, all you have to do is promise Vongola’s aid when I need it.”

“When you need it...you mean against the Zenin?” Xanxus asked and there was a hint of some strange emotion in his tone. It was confusion, a puzzling sensation as if he had just seen a pig fly. 

“Yeah.”

“Why? You said you don’t want to fight but you’re planning to go against a bunch of loony shamans?” 

“Because I have people that I want to protect. I want them to be happy.” Tsuna’s eyes found Toji’s. The familiar green reflected the cold color of the ice on the field but it contained the same kindness that stayed with him for so many years.

Xanxus laughed cruelly. “You’re one fucked up kid.”

“Well, love is a curse, isn’t it?” The teen smiled as he turned his attention back to the assassin. 

The Italian man stared at him and they all remained quiet for a few moments. The fire was gone from Tsuna’s forehead and the rage cooled down on Xanxus’s face. 

“Fine,” Xanxus finally spat. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Sawada.”

“Glad that you finally came to your senses.” Toji came closer to the two with a grin.

Xanxus huffed, “Shut up, you pervert.”

The Sorcerer Killer just stabbed the Inverted Spear of Heaven into the ice covering Xanxus’s body. The ice melted, allowing Xanxus to take a free fall into the ground face first.

“You fucker!”

“Hey, didn’t think that would work but at least you’re free?” Toji jumped back when Xanxus took a wild swing at Toji’s knee. The Varia boss was too exhausted to get up. 

Truth to be told, so was Tsuna. The teen nearly crashed down too but Toji caught him and settled him on the ground softly.

“How did—” Tsuna started as he stared at the inverted Spear of Heaven.

“Dying will flame is positive energy so its reverse, the ice, should be negative energy right?” Toji didn’t need to explain more. Tsuna got it. Cursed energy was also negative energy and if the special grade cursed tool could nullify that, then it should work on the First’s zero point breakthrough. 

He laughed. Then the teen slipped the ring on Xanxus’s finger. The two halves clicked together, forming a complete ring. There was a smile on Xanxus’s face as the ring started glowing. 

The light was magnificent. 

But then, blood spilled from Xanxus’s lips and the wounds on his body. “Gahhh!”

“Xanxus?” Tsuna yelled as he tried to reach for the man. “What happened?”

“The ring...it rejected Boss’s blood?” That voice belonged to Squalo. The Varia swordsman had arrived with Dino and his men. Bucking Horse had taken his old schoolmate to the hospital after the rain battle and now they are both back. 

Meanwhile, the baby illusionist came flying down towards the field with Belphegor. Tsuna could see his friends coming too. Everyone was still alive. 

It was Xanxus’s voice that pulled everyone out of their shock. The man sat up with Belphegor’s help and stared down at the ring on his hand with loathe and pain. 

“...I had it coming, didn’t I? I should have expected this to happen when that old fart and I have no blood relations whatsoever.”

“Xanxus...”

“Don’t you dare to pity me, scum. You all understood nothing.”

“I do,” Squalo said and he went on to tell a tale of Xanxu’s birth. It was the story of a boy that grew up in the gutters with a poor and delusional mother. She gave him to the Ninth, and the boy believed with all his heart he had the blood. He had the right to the throne and kingdom that he would protect with all his soul, just like his father—Vongola Ninth.

So when the ugly truth came out, his heart was filled with betrayal. Thus, that fire burned, wrecking havoc through Vongola as the boy, now a man, strived to prove his own worth. He would show the treacherous liar to him that even without blood, he was still powerful enough to lead this empire of crime. 

“So...You’re not eligible from the beginning and you know it?” Toji sounded like he was either going to start laughing like a hyena or stick a sword into someone’s neck. 

“Shut up! I still got to try don’t I?” Xanxus yelled angrily. “If I can’t have the rings, then no one else can! Kill them! Kill them all! I curse you all to death!” 

A darkness was emitting from Xanxus’s body. Tsuna knew that feeling too well, the birth of a curse. Toji was going to come forward but suddenly, the dark aura got blown away by the sound of snapping fingers.

“You really should think twice about saying things like that.” 

Gojo’s voice sounded from above them. The young jujutsu sorcerer was floating through the air and he descended on Toji’s shoulder. 

Toji stabbed the Inverted Spear of Heaven into the white hair teen’s foot but Gojo jumped off just in the nick of time and landed beside Tsuna, leaving a foot print on Toji's shirt. 

“Hey, Tsunayoshi! Wow, you look like shit.”

“Gojo-san?”

“Didn’t want to miss the show so I came! Getou is covering for me in case Yaga asked.” He gave them a thumbs up and a pearl white smile. “I ran into some guys in Vaira uniform fighting a man with a giant metal ball on the way here. It looks like Varia’s reinforcements won’t be coming anytime soon.”

“Our reinforcement?” Mammon’s voice was solemn. 

“Ah! That must be who Mukuro-sama was talking about.” Chrome sounded very happy as she got close enough to hear what they were saying. 

Gojo smiled at her and checked the sight around them. “Hmm...where’s the person inside that machine man? The one that had their fire mixed with Tsuna’s?” 

“You knew about that bastard?” Toji asked.

“Saw their fire.” Gojo shrugged. “Looks like someone sent them away to a hospital maybe? I was sort of betting on you killing them.”

“The old geezer was already dying.” Toji shrugged as he repeatedly tried to stab Gojo half-heartedly with one hand. “We’ve got a problem though. The fucker over there isn’t eligible to be boss.”

“It seems like the seal on Tsuna had been completely broken. So that’s one thing out of the way and less work for me.” The jujutsu sorcerer dodged each attack and circled around Tsuna to get to Xanxus. He scanned the man that had thrown up blood with a hand under his chin.

“Gojo-san, you probably shouldn’t get too close.” Tsuna knew the jujutsu sorcerer was invincible but he still worried about him. Xanxus could be a very stubborn and explosive mess. 

“I see...man, this is such a pain in the butt.” Gojo turned around to look at Tsuna. His blue eyes were ever so striking. “So what are you planning to do now, Tsunayoshi?”

Tsuna surveyed the group and their surroundings. Everyone was hurt and they went through so much trouble to get this right. But now they were telling him this was all for nothing? No. No way. He wasn’t going to take it so easily.

“Xanxus?” Tsuna asked as he picked up the sky ring from the pool of blood in front of the man. The ring had slipped off. “You’re not going to give up on the ambition of becoming boss even like this aren’t you?”

“Of course not.”

Then there was something he could do now. Life wasn’t fair and honestly, he was too tired to come up with anything else.

“Since I beat you then I am officially the Tenth right?”

The man scuffed harshly. “What? Are you showing off now?” 

“Since I’m the Tenth boss then I can appoint you as the proxy can’t I?” 

“A proxy?” Xanxus’s red eyes landed into Tsuna’s brown ones. “What are you scheming, scumbag?”

“We’re kids.” Tsuna pointed to himself and his friends. “We still got to go to school and stuff. So it’s natural for me to appoint someone to take care of things as boss in my place isn’t it?”

“You think I’m going to submit to you like a lapdog?” The fire was returning to the man’s eyes even as his body was broken at this point. 

“No,” Tsuna replied as he shook his head. “But I can be the childish successor. If I appoint you to run the show, it would give you time to gain the favor within the family wouldn’t it? And even when I become an adult, they would probably choose you over someone that they had never seen and irresponsibly ran off to god knows where.”

There was silence. Then Xanxus croaked, “That is absurd.”

Tsuna tilted his head to the side in confusion.“So?”

His reaction gained him more silence as a mix of emotions took over Xanxus’s face. 

“That’s not a bad suggestion. I like the way your brain thinks.” Gojo laughed as he hooked his arm around Tsuna. “You’re a pretty smart man too, Xanxus. You should know what to choose right now.”

The silence was on them again. Xanxus’s face was a gloomy mess as he laid on the floor. He clenched his fists tight, but the muscles in his body were refusing to cooperate. They shook and trembled, from pain, from exhaustion, and from uncertainty. Then, he turned his head away from them.

“I’ll take the title of boss from you brat completely one day.”

Hearing that, Tsuna smiled. “Cool. Awesome. Please do.” 

And darkness engulfed the teen’s senses.

#

When he woke up, he saw Toji’s face in front of him. They were back at the Fushiguros’. The bed was soft and the smell of medicine and disinfectants surrounded him. Tsuna couldn’t really guess what time it was since the curtain was closed, covering the room in darkness. 

There was a soft beeping noise and Tsuna reached for his phone. But his hand stopped just before he could touch it. The strong arm around his waist tightened and he couldn’t move any further. 

“Toji-san,” Tsuna said as he turned back and patted the man’s face, “wake up.”

“It’s too early to get up,” was the mumbled reponse. “Go back to sleep.”

“My phone is ringing.”

“Don’t bother with it.” 

Toji reached over and shut Tsuna’s phone off before pressing the teen’s head towards his bare chest. His skin was warm as usual and Tsuna could feel his own body relaxed. 

But his brain didn’t want to sink back into slumber.

“Come on, Toji-san. At least let go.”

The reply was a groan and a tighter hold. 

Tsuna rolled his eyes as he brushed the man’s bangs to the side. His finger traced over Toji’s features and landed on the scar on the side of the older man’s mouth. Toji opened his eyes slightly. They were still covered with a hazy drowsiness of sleep. 

“What?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

“Nothing.”

Tsuna smiled. He leaned in and left a light peck on the scar on the side of the man’s mouth. The texture on the old scar was a bit rough. 

“What's that for?” Toji tangled his fingers into the teen’s brown hair. 

“Nothing.”

“You’re a weird kid.” Toji laughed softly. He pressed Tsuna’s head down closer and his lips brushed by the top of the boy’s hair. There was a sly curve on his mouth as he said, “If you’re going to do it, do it right.”

“Wha—” 

Their position was flipped. Tsuna laid on his back while Toji’s body pressed down against his. The teen could feel his tongue being captured by another’s and the air was being sucked out of his lungs. His head felt heavier, muddy with a haze that blurred the colors in front of him. He saw green and only green. 

Tsuna’s face was completely red when they finally parted. He smacked the pillow into the man and scampered out of the room while Toji’s laughter followed. 

The way they interacted hadn’t changed much. The touches were still there and they still bickered about the stupidest of things. The kisses were rare, sporadic even. But whenever they do, it feels as if there was nothing else left in the world.

And it was embarrassing. 

Tsuna got dressed and looked down at the phone that he had picked up before he raced out the bedroom. It was an invitation from Gokudera to meet at Yamamoto’s place. A party. A celebration for their victory. 

“What’s this?” Toji’s voice came from behind him as the man took the phone out of his hand. “A party?”

“Yeah, do you want to go?”

“Not really. Got to go do something else today,” Toji yawned as he gave the phone back. He then scratched his neck as he halted by the washroom door. “But you can take these two with you.”

He reached a long arm out and pulled the Fushiguro siblings out from behind the half closed door. Kind of like pulling carrots out from the ground, Megumi and Tsumiki came out with a surprised yelp.

“Tsuna!” Tsumiki called as she wrapped her arms around her step father’s neck to keep herself steady. Her brother’s eyes were also glistening with stars as he kicked at Toji’s side for not holding him properly. 

“Are we going out?” the kids asked. 

And Tsuna nodded with a smile. 

#

The party at Yamamoto’s place was a rowdy one filled with laughter. All of his friends were gathered there, even Kyoko and Haru. Lancia-san was also there, apparently the man was the one that had taken down Vaira’s reinforcement.

“Tsuna!” Gokudera came up to him. The silver haired teen noticed the kids behind Tsuna and he stopped. “Who are these?”

“This is Megumi and Tsumiki,” Tsuna introduced. 

Gokudera bent down and nearly took a double take when he saw Megumi’s face. “Don’t tell me...They are that guy’s kids?”

When Tsuna nodded, the teen groaned as if he was having a massive headache. 

“Come on, don’t be like that in front of the kids, Gokudera.” Yamamoto patted him on the shoulder and leaned down to greet the Fushiguro siblings. “Hey there, I’m Yamamoto.”

He seemed to get along well with the kids. And Haru and Kyoko took a liking to them instantly too. 

“Tsuna, I...” Megumi tugged on the teen’s shirt as he whispered. He was probably a bit intimate by the large group and eccentric characters.

He placed a hand on the boy’s head. “Don’t worry, they are good people.”

Tsuna watched Fuuta and the other younger kids pulled the siblings towards food. They don’t just have good sushi here, the hot foods were also divine.

“This is yours,” Reborn said as he landed on the table beside Tsuna. “The consensus from the family was that the Vongola rings will be yours and your guardians’ to keep for now.”

He handed Tsuna the full sky and sun rings. And the brown haired teen saw that his friends have their respective rings too (except Hibari and Chrome, who weren’t here).

“I thought I appointed Xanxus and his crew for this already?” Tsuna sat down and put a piece of sushi in his mouth. 

“The Ninth is alive,” Dino said with a hint of a smile. The blond sat down from across from him. “So technically he is still the one in charge. Also, considering what Varia had done...Iemitsu and him will need to discuss Varia’s punishment back in Italy. They will take into consideration...your plan for Xanxus.” There was a sheepish smile on the older male’s face. “You never fail to surprise us, don’t you Tsuna?”

Tsuna doesn’t know if that was a comforting thing to know. “I’m just being logical, that is all.”

“Well, it certainly achieved what you wanted.”

There was astonishment and a hint of pity in his voice that Tsuna didn’t quite like. But it was understandable. As an allied family, Dino probably doesn't want a man like Xanxus to be running the show. 

“Don’t talk about such solemn things at a time like this.” Gokudera slid Tsuna a drink and he smiled. “We won against the Varia and all of us are alive! That’s worth celebrating!”

Dino chuckled. “Yeah, that’s true.”

He got up to get some sake from Mr. Yamamoto. Gokudera sat down in his place while Bianchi took Reborn to a separate table to enjoy the “better quality” sushi. 

“We won, Tsuna.” Gokudera’s eyes found Tsuna’s. The silver haired teen’s features were soft while he drained his drink. “We won.”

Tsuna understood then. They won. They got time.

They managed to get themselves more time before Tsuna had to disappear. The Ninth was alive, which meant neither Xanxus or Tsuna could take over right now. If Xanxus was to be the one in charge, Tsuna had to disappear. He would have to leave Namimori and his friends but now...they had earned themselves more time together. At least, until they finished middle school.

“I’m happy,” he whispered to his friend. “Thank you all.”

Yamamoto appeared behind him and so did Ryohei. The baseball star placed a hand on Tsuna’s shoulder and smiled. “That’s what friends are for right?” 

Tsuna looked up and saw Megumi in a tumble with Lambo as the two bickered about a piece of gingered meat. Fuuta and I-pin weren’t trying to break things up, instead, they cheered on the childish battle. Meanwhile, Tsumiki sat between the teen girls and ate happily.

So Tsuna laughed. He looked up at Yamamoto and said, “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally done with the Varia arc!!! Oh man, didn't think it would be this long.


	40. Ten Years Later - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING:**
> 
> In order to better enjoy this chapter, you might want to read "Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College" (AKA JJK volume 0) first. It is a prequel to Jujutsu Kaisen. I tried to make it so that even if you haven't you'd be kind of fine? But reading it will give a better pic of what the new characters look like.

38

Something felt off.

Tsuna walked the quiet streets of Namimori alone. It had been a few days since the party celebrated the end of the ring battles. The Fushiguro kids had gotten along pretty well with the younger mafia children and Tsuna planned to bring them around more often. 

School was the same old. Hibari still enforced peace without mercy while his friends were rowdy as usual. But they weren’t the problem. The weird thing was that he hadn’t seen Reborn ever since they went to see off Lancia and Basil after the party. The two had to return to Italy and Tsuna hadn’t heard from Reborn then.

 _Did he go back with them?_

That seemed unlikely.

“Tsuna! Look at Lambo-sama!” a voice called from above him and he saw the kid running on the edge of the roof to the Sawada house. He had a bed sheet tied around his neck and it was floating against the wind like a cape. 

And Tsuna’s heart nearly jumped out of his throat. “Lambo! Get down from there!”

“No way! Lambo-sama is invincible!” The kid started jumping around and he was too close to the edge for anyone’s liking. 

“Lambo! Be careful!” Tsuna raced over and reached his arms out, getting ready to catch the kid if he fell down. 

“Oh!”

Lambo slipped. His body falls forward and Tsuna screams internally while scrambling to catch the kid. But the shadow coming down on him wasn’t the right shape or size. Tsuna looked up and he saw the dark barrel of the ten year bazooka descending upon him.

A burst of pink covered his vision and Tsuna instinctively shut his eyes tight. It felt like he was falling and gravity was pulling him down. Then his feet touched the ground. He smelled the scent of flowers and a soft breeze brushed by his face. 

When Tsuna opened his eyes again, he was standing in front of a large glass window. It was a bright day outside, with busy traffic down on the roads. He scanned the room and realized he was standing in a relatively normal hotel room. 

The carpet was red while the walls were white. There was a sofa and a large bed in the room. The sheets were messy and it was still warm, signaling that someone had slept in it recently. Across from him, was a mirror and a door that led to what he assumed was the exit.

There was a bouquet of lilies in front of him too. That was where the scent of flowers came from. 

“This is...ten years in the future?” Tsuna scratched his head in confusion. Where was he? It was probably somewhere in Japan judging by the billboards outside. 

He found some first aid kit and medicine but Tsuna didn’t see anything that could provide a clue nearby so he went towards the door. Maybe he could find some answers if he took a peek outside? 

Just as his hand landed on the doorknob, another rougher hand covered his and stopped him from turning it. A larger shadow loomed over him and heat pressed close to his body along with moisture and the scent of shampoo. 

“Where are you going?” It was Toji’s voice but it sounded a bit darker than what Tsuna was used to. The hold on Tsuna tightened to the point where it was starting to feel a bit too restrictive but then the man paused. “Wait...Did you get smaller?”

Confusion filled his tone. 

“Toji-san, I’m from ten years ago.” Tsuna turned around to face him. “I got hit by the ten year bazooka.”

The man hadn’t aged that much in appearance. There was a faint line under his eyes but it didn’t hinder his handsome face. He was in a white bathrobe and water dripped down his hair. His hair had gotten a bit longer, kind of like how it was styled when he was younger. Something darker swirled within his green eyes. 

Toji lifted Tsuna’s face and checked him over. Then he smiled and the uneasiness Tsuna felt a moment was gone. “Ah, this brings back memories.”

“Where are we, Toji-san?” Tsuna grabbed the towel that was around the man’s neck and pulled it over Toji’s wet hair. He dried Toji’s hair roughly as a small payback for nearly scaring his heart out of his chest.

“Tokyo.” Toji pulled Tsuna along back to the room. “There are some idiots searching for you so it’s better if you don’t go out wandering by yourself.”

Tsuna sat down on the bed while the man got dressed. “Are we running from Vongola?”

It would be kind of disappointing and impressive that they hadn’t given up even after ten years. 

“No, there’s a new fucker named Byakuran.”

“Byaku...ran?” Tsuna never heard of that name before. 

Toji ruffled his hair. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

Tsuna nodded. If Toji said so then they were probably fine. “So who's running Vongola now?”

“Xanxus.”

“Oh thank god！” Tsuna let out a breath of relief. 

Toji laughed. “That's not the usual reaction you’d get from people when they heard about who is in charge of Vongola. Also, technically _you_ are Decimo.”

 _Shit._ Tsuna laid down on the bed with a sigh. He still had that stupid title even after all these years?

He rolled on the bed, not wanting to face reality.

Toji sat down next to him when the teen finally stopped and placed a hand on Tsuna’s head. “Hey, hasn’t it been five minutes already?”

 _Huh?_

Tsuna sat up and looked at the clock on the wall. Sure enough, it had been more than five minutes since he arrived.

“Did the ten year bazooka break down again?” the teen groaned as he remembered how problematic the machine can get. “What am I going to do?”

The Sorcerer Killer patted him on the cheek. “We will figure something out eventually. Anyways, looks like you’re stuck here for now.”

Tsuna grumbled some incoherent complaints but then his eyes landed on Toji and he realized something off. “Toji-san, why are you in your work clothing?”

They were on the run weren’t they? Was it wise to be taking a job so boldly during this kind of time?

“Because we have somewhere to be today.”

“Where are we going?”

Toji bared his teeth as he growled in disgust, “Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School.”

#

Okkotsu Yuuta was a new first year at Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, a school for jujutsu sorcerers. On the outside, he was nothing out of the ordinary. He had black hair and a medium built. He was no academic genius and he wasn’t a sports star either.

But misfortune followed him everywhere he went.

From a young age, he had been plagued by the curse that was once his childhood friend—Orimoto Rika. They made a promise to each other when the girl was still alive. A promise to be wed together once they grew up.

But then, a tragedy befall upon Rika. She died right in front of Yuuta in a bloody and squishy mess from being run over by a truck. From which, a curse was born.

_“Once we become adults, we’ll get married.”_

_“That means, we will be together forever right?”_

It was a promise.

And that endearing promise turned into a curse.

Yuuta didn’t know if Rika cursed him or if he cursed her...but the result was the same. Now, this monster of the girl he loved followed him around everywhere he went and attacked those around him in the name of love.

That was why he came here, to this school. He was going to find a way to undo Rika’s curse.

And he made some pretty good friends. They were a strange and rough bunch but Yuuta enjoyed his time with them. There weren’t a lot of first years. Besides him, there were two other people and a panda.

There was no lecture today, only battle training.

Zenin Maki, a girl with her hair tied in a ponytail and glasses, smacked the staff in her hand onto Yuuta’s side as they sparred. 

“Ugh!”

“Don’t space out during training,” she barked at him. The girl was a skilled weapon user and naturally strong. 

“Yes, sorry.”

Yuuta climbed back up and rubbed the sore spot on his body. He glanced around and asked, “Hey, where’s Gojo-sensei?”

The white haired man was the one that told them to gather today but he was nowhere to be seen.

“He went to pick up the guest teachers. Outsiders can’t enter the school without approval, they’d trigger the alarms.” Panda spoke up. Panda was a panda no matter how you looked at him. 

“Guest teachers?”

“Cucumber.” The last member of their group, Inumaki, pointed to the far side of the field. He had light colored hair and hid the lower half of his face beneath his high collar. “Wasabi.”

Yuuta looked over. Their overly energetic teacher waved at them. You can’t miss the man. He wasn’t one that blended into the crowd easily. Gojo-sensei had a full head of white hair that he brushed up and he was tall for a Japanese, definitely over six feet tall. 

“Thanks for waiting, everyone!” 

Gojo-sensei skipped down the steps and there were two others with him. A man in his early thirties and a teen that looked like he was still in middle school. The muscular man had dark hair, green eyes, and a scar down the right side of his mouth. Meanwhile, the teen had a messy head of soft brown hair and large caramel eyes.

 _A new classmate maybe?_

“This is Sawada Tsunayoshi,” Gojo-sensei introduced with his arm around the shorter teen’s shoulder as if he read Yuuta’s thoughts. “He can see but he’s not a jujutsu sorcerer.”

“Then what is he doing here? This is a school about learning how to exorcise curses isn’t it?” Maki asked. 

Yuuta also wondered about the same thing. It felt dangerous for normal people to be too close to a place like this...to people like them. What if the other teen accidentally gets cursed?

But Gojo only waved dismissively. “Well, he has to be here in order for your guest teacher to show up. They are a packaged deal.”

The white haired man pointed to the man on the side. There was a kind of distance between the two adults roughly of equal height. Kind of like how oil and water don’t mix.

“Come on now, don’t be so gloomy. Say Hi,” Gojo said with a grin that didn’t signal too much excitement. Yuuta knew that grin. It symbolized trouble. “He’s a relative of yours, Maki. He’s a Zenin too.”

That surprised the girl as her pupils dilated. .

But the man scowled as he ran a hand through his hair. “Hey, don’t call me by that name, you shitty bastard. I’ve gone by Fushiguro for a long time now.”

“He’s...” Maki opened her mouth and Yuuta noticed her lips were quivering slightly. 

“That’s right. This idiot here has Heavenly Restriction just like you. In fact, he’s got it even worse.” 

_Heavenly restriction…?_

Yuuta was still quite new to the jujutsu world and he didn’t really understand. But judging from his friends’ faces, it wasn’t anything good.

Their teacher’s words earned himself a kick to the face but the black haired man’s foot stopped just before Gojo’s face as if it was blocked by an invisible wall.

“I told you,” he growled. “Shut the fuck up.”

Their teacher stuck out his tongue. “Or what?”

The tension between them was immense. Yuuta’s hand found the hilt of his sword as he backed away a bit. He didn’t want to get dragged into a fight beyond his level. His friends were probably thinking the same thing as their bodies tensed too.

A tired sigh came from between them and the one Gojo-sensei had introduced as “Sawada” clapped his hands together as if he was the kindergarten teacher summoning his student’s back to earth.. “Gojo-san and Toji-san, stop. You’re scaring people.”

The two adults moved away from each other. It was weird, seeing how the other teen dispersed the pending battle so easily. 

“So, back to training then.” Gojo pointed to Sawada. “Tsunayoshi is just here to observe for now but you can try fighting him too if you want, Yuuta.”

“Wait, me?” Yuuta repeated while pointing to himself. 

“Yep, you still need to learn how to move around more freely and Tsunyoshi here is pretty good at doing that. No jujutsu or Rika-chan though. The rest of you are with Fushiguro and go crazy all you want.”

Yuuta was sure that those words translated into “Go wild and kill him”. 

“Is it okay to do a three on one?” Panda asked with his paw raised. “That’s kind of dangerous isn’t it?”

“Don’t worry,” Fushiguro smirked. “Cause you are all weak.”

So the battle started. Panda and Inumaki went and attacked Fushiguro but Maki stayed back a bit. Her eyebrows are knitted tight together as her eyes follow the man’s movement.

“Maki-san...” Yuuta started but he didn’t really know what to say.

The girl sighed. “Just ask.”

“Huh?”

“You want to know what Heavenly Restriction is right?” She stretched her arms out. “It’s a sacrifice. You get reduced cursed energy in exchange for enhanced physical power but the choice isn’t yours to make. I...we were born with it.”

She was gifted with superhuman strength but Maki didn’t sound too excited about it. Instead, she grabbed her weapon off the side and stretched out her legs too. 

“The Zenin family is an elite lineage of jujutsu sorcerers so they look down at people like me...that’s why I left home. The food was bad, my room was small, and some strangers loitered the place. It was absolutely the worst. I guess it must be the same for Fushiguro.”

Yuuta didn’t know what to say. Maki made it sound alright but that can’t be an enjoyable life.

“They never change do they?” Sawada sighed. Yuuta wondered what the other teen had experienced for him to look so concerned. There was no mistake or fakeness in the shadows on his features.

Maki huffed. Then she stomped onto the field with her weapon glistening under the sun. “Get out of my way, Panda!”

And the girl joined the messy battle with a kind of fury Yuuta hadn't seen before. Yuuta saw Panda flying. Literally flying. Fushiguro had flung him and Panda went into the air as if he was made of paper.

_Wow._

“Okkotsu-san,” Sawada called as he smiled at Yuuta. The teen had a nice smile. It was warm and friendly. “Should we start too?”

“Oh! Y-Yes!” Yuuta lifted the wooden sword in his hands and faced the brown haired teen. He lost sight of Gojo-sensei but that was normal. The man probably wandered off to find something sweet to eat while his students suffered.

He slashed his blade across but Sawada dodged easily to the side. The other teen didn’t have any weapons on him but his eyes were a bit sharper as he closed in on Yuuta. His fist nearly came in contact with Yuuta’s stomach. Yuuta blocked it with his elbow but then he saw something strange. Fire. He felt like he saw orange and gold burning in front of him. 

“Whoa—”

When he blinked again, there was nothing out of the ordinary in front of him. 

But the other’s teen’s movements became harder to keep up with. Sawada was avoiding his attacks as if he could read Yuuta’s mind. His movements were loose yet they were effective. And Sawada didn’t restrict his attacks to just his hands. His maneuvers were smooth, almost as if he was more used to battling in the air. 

“Ughh!” Finally, Yuuta landed on his butt while his sword was snatched by Sawada. The brown haired teen pointed the weapon at his throat and he smiled.

“Game over?”

Yuuta scratched his head with a sheepish smile. “Game over. You’re really good, Sawada-san.”

“I’m not that great compared to Toji-san or my hellish tutor. Also, please call me Tsuna,” he said as he extended a hand toward Yuuta. Yuuta took it and got up to pat his pants clean. 

“Thank you, Tsuna.”

It might be the heat or the reflection of the afternoon sun, but he saw gold flashing by the Tsuna’s eyes. Yuuta didn't disliked it. He thought it was cool. 

They turned to the middle of the field and saw the other three first years of Jujutsu High were piled on the ground. Panda was at the bottom while Inumaki and Maki laid on top of him. 

They all look beat and dusty. Fushiguro sat on the very top and he had a wicked grin on his face while he was holding Maki’s weapon. 

“Toji-san!” Tsuna yelled. “Don’t over do it!”

Fushiguro tossed the blade and got off Yuuta’s friends. “I didn’t break anything.”

Tsuna rolled his eyes as the man got closer. “It’d be too late if you _did_ break something.”

The two definitely knew each other for a long time. Yuuta could tell that from how easy and relaxed they spoke to each other. 

Yuuta’s friends climbed up, spitting out dust and dirt that accidentally got into their mouths. Maki adjusted her glasses as her eyes scanned Tsuna and Fushiguro.

“Oh? Is the match over already?” Gojo came back with an armful of cold drinks. He tossed them each one but he didn’t give any to Fushiguro. Yuuta thinks it might be intentional.

Didn’t matter though, because Fushiguro took Tsuna’s after the teen took a sip. And Maki looked confused. 

“Aren’t you two a little bit too close?” She mentioned to Fushiguro’s hand that was resting around Tsuna’s waist. 

Yuuta also thought that was a bit weird. While Gojo-sensei gave them some occasional pats on the back or hooked his arm around their shoulders...they didn’t get that close either.

Tsuna turned to Gojo with an odd look, which the teacher just shrugged. 

“Didn’t I tell you before?” Gojo gestured to the two with the drink in his hand. “They are together.”

Yuuta noticed everyone glancing at each other. His eyes met with his classmates and then all three of his friends’ eyes landed on him. The pressure in their stare was getting stingy so Yuuta gulped and asked, “You mean...like together together?” 

“Yep!” Gojo replied with a thumbs up. 

Maki stared at the three then pointed to Fushiguro. Her face was painted with a thin layer of contempt. “So he’s a pedophile then.”

“Totally a pedophile,” Panda agreed.

“Salmon,” said Inumaki.

Now, Yuuta had gotten a bit more familiar with Inumaki’s speech patterns. Due to the nature of the other teen’s cursed technique, Inumaki couldn’t talk normally. The words he said turned into truths so he had to avoid forming coherent sentences during daily life. But if he got this right...salmon meant agreement.

Tsuna looked a bit nervous while Fushiguro only grinned at them.

Gojo laughed, nearly spilling his drink as he did so. “Tsunayoshi is actually twenty-four in this era. This is just his younger self from ten years ago. He got hit by the ten year bazooka and swap places with his future self.”

_That doesn’t explain anything!_

Yuuta could feel the frustration growing among his peers. The words that came out of Gojo-sensei’s mouth were simple individually but when combined, he couldn’t understand a thing. 

“Alright, enough small talk! Back to training!” Gojo waved them off even as Maki and the others complained about how he wasn’t making sense. “Come with me Yuuta, there are a few paperworks Yaga needs you to sign for Rika’s investigation.” 

Ah, Rika’s investigation. Yuuta knew the school was sending out people to dig deeper. They were trying to figure out how a girl from a civilian family could turn into such a powerful curse. She was a special grade so it was natural for the principle and higher ups to be concerned. 

So Yuuta followed his white haired teacher into the school building. 

“Gojo-sensei,” he asked when they were well out of ear shot. “Why did you pair me up with Tsuna?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? Personally I think love is the most twisted curse of them all.” Gojo-sensei placed his hands behind his back. His words felt light as always but somehow, Yuuta knew the man wasn’t joking any more. “You were looking at exhibit A back there.”

“But they—”

“No,” his teacher answered with a finger on his lips. “They don’t have cursed energy and they aren’t looking to undo the curse like you are.”

“Why?” Yuuta would think people would want to get rid of a curse. Even him...he loved Rika but he couldn’t bear to see her in this blasted form. Trapped and angry, unable to control the violence and the blood. He wanted to free her. 

Because...letting go was also a part of love wasn't it?

“It’s their lifeline. That twisted love of theirs is their anchor.”

Yuuta stopped moving then. He got it now. He understood and he could even sympathize with it. That was a deranged kind of love that matched the one between him and Rika. 

They were plagued by the same curse, the same madness.

And he was kind of jealous that Fushiguro and Tsuna were both alive to live in this hell together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The TYL arc will include a lot more JJK content. But it will be more Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College (TMCTC) characters then actual JJK. TMCTC is a year before JJK started and it features Okkotsu Yuuta as the protagonist. 
> 
> I checked the time line of cannon JJK and realized that the Star Plasma job was around 2006. TMCTC happened in 2016. And KHR TYL arc happened about 9 years and 10 month in the future so TMCTC would make more sense with this story. 
> 
> PS: I don't mind rants at all in the comments LOL. If you've got questions about the plot so far, I'd answer them too (can't spoil things that haven't happened yet but everything else is fair game ;))


	41. Ten Years Later - 2

39 

Before they left the hotel room, Toji handed Tsuna a thin chain and told him to put whatever rings he had gotten from the mafia on it. 

“Why?” Tsuna asked as he did so. He had the sky ring and one that Lanchia gave him. Somehow, he felt like he had seen these chains before. 

“The Mammon chains seal their powers off. Makes us harder to detect.”

Tsuna wasn’t sure what he meant by that exactly but he shoved the rings back in his pocket. Toji threw him a jacket and they went out the door. A car was already waiting for them outside the lobby and Tsuna guessed the driver was an assistant director from the school.

Jujutsu High was located in the rural area near Tokyo. The campus covered a large area that included plenty of hillside and green lawns. It even had a small portion of the forest within it. The buildings were more traditional though. They were made from wood and were built around each other kind of like how a temple would be situated. 

There was a familiar figure standing by the entrance. 

White hair and a tall lean built that was covered in a black uniform. Gojo. 

“Gojo-san?” Tsuna called as they approached him.

“Younger Tsunayoshi? This sure brings back memories.” Adult Gojo leaned down a bit to greet him. He was already tall when he was just a teenager but now, he seemed to have gotten even taller. Gojo had discarded his round sunglasses and used a black blindfold instead. 

But that smile of his hadn’t changed.

Tsuna smiled at him. He was glad that something seemed to never change. “It’s nice to see you Gojo-san.”

Gojo grinned as he came in to hug the teen, almost a little too tight. He even lifted Tsuna off the ground and took him on a little twirl. “Same to see you doing so well too.”

He set Tsuna down and the teen wondered if it was just his imagination that Gojo seemed a little too affectionate. But Toji hadn’t stopped the white haired jujutsu sorcerer...so maybe this was just how Gojo and the ten years older him normally interacted?

They made their way up the stairs leading to the main school buildings. Gojo talked about a few things associated with the school and how his old homeroom teacher was the principal now.

“So why are we here today?” Toji hadn’t exactly told him why they came here. He thought the man wasn’t a big fan of the school. 

“It’s kind of a trade off. Since I’m still technically your Thunder, I can ask my family members to do some favors right? So the older you agreed to drag his ass here to teach my students.”

He guessed that was only fair. Tsuna felt kind of bad that Gojo was still stuck with the title because of him though. He was probably busy enough dealing with all the curses as it is. 

“Wait,” Tsuna stopped and scanned Gojo over from head to toe. “You became a teacher? With actual students?”

 _Did Gojo get cursed?_ Tsuna looked up at Toji but the older man just shrugged and twirled his index finger on the side of his head. It was enough to tell Tsuna that Toji thought Gojo had gone coocoo. 

“Surprised? I bet!” Gojo wrapped his arm around Tsuna’s shoulder with a sly grin. “A lot of things happened during these years but we can talk about that more tonight. Now let’s go meet my precious students! They are still in their rebellious phases but they are good kids.”

He pulled Tsuna along and they met the young jujutsu sorcerers. 

There was a boy from the Inumaki clan, a Zenin girl with Heavenly Restriction, a civilian boy cursed by the girl he loved, and a panda. A panda.

This sure was a strange class.

Also, have they really gotten so short on staff that they started recruiting animals? But the most curious of them all was the one they called Okkotsu Yuuta.

Okkotsu Yuuta wasn’t as headstrong or confident as his peers but Tsuna resonated with the other teen a bit more than the rest. He was a kind soul and he was cursed by love as well. And Tsuna would be interested in meeting the famous Rika-chan.

“Didn’t I tell you before? They are together.” 

The young jujutsu sorcerers stared back at Tsuna and Toji with a look that was a mix of uncertainty and surprise. 

“...Like together together?” Okkotsu asked shakingly. 

Tsuna could tell Gojo hadn’t lost his love for chaos when the man smiled and announced, “Yep!”

Their faces turned into disgust then as they turned to look at Toji with that familiar gaze, one that signalled they were looking at trash or a cockroach that had invaded their rooms. 

“So he’s a pedophile then.”

“Totally a pedophile.” 

“Salmon.” 

Tsuna could only smile nervously. He didn’t understand Inumaki’s words since the other teen’s vocabulary only consisted of sushi ingredients. But he could kind of sense that it meant some form of agreement with his friends' words. His dad and Reborn already had questions when they first met Toji. He guessed that it would look even worse now that another ten years had been added to that difference.

But Toji didn’t seem to mind it. He kept his tight hold around Tsuna as he passed the drink back. Tsuna finished it while he watched the jujutsu sorcerers booed and complained at their teacher for not making sense as he attempted to explain what had happened to Tsuna. 

The mafia was weird and their technologies were even weirder (Hey, they can emit fire from their bodies). So of course the teens found it confusing. 

Gojo took Okkotsu with him while Toji spared the girl with the glasses. Maki, Tsuna believed, the Zenin with Heavenly Restriction. Judging from what she said earlier, those idiots hadn’t changed either.

He was regretting not throwing enough live bugs into those shamans clothing when he was younger. 

Tsuna sat on the lower stairs with Panda and Inumaki. 

“Gojo-sensei said Fushiguro has Heavenly Restriction too right?” Panda asked. Even if he looked like a beast, he was surprisingly fluent with his speech. 

“Yeah,” Tsuna replied. It was rare to find another with that same curse. Not to mention they were from the same family too.

Panda laughed. “It’s not every day we see someone that can beat Maki in a battle of pure strength. Maki also doesn't get to practice with other weapon users a lot. I think she is going to be happy with the new sparring partner,”

Inumaki nodded as well. 

“That’s good to hear. I think Toji-san is enjoying himself too.” Tsuna smiled a bit as he watched the two on the field. You could certainly tell they were related. The Zenin genes were pretty dominant. They had the same black hair, thin eyebrows, and sharp eyes.

His thoughts wondered. Ten years had passed but he didn’t really feel the difference. Toji said the Fushiguro siblings were at a normal middle school back in Saitama. Since they were on the run it probably won’t do too much good to visit them on a whim. Tsuna also wondered how everyone in Namimori was doing. His friends and his mom...and Vongola too. 

_Wait._

Now that he thought about it, neither Toji nor Gojo had said much about what was going on with Vongola right now. Toji mentioned a Byakuran, who was probably mafia, but Tsuna hadn’t heard that name before.

__Also...what happened to Reborn?_ _

__Stretching his back out, Tsuna decided he would get some answers tonight._ _

__#_ _

__Maki stared at the man with a scar on his lips from across the table. Gojo-sensei had invited them along for dinner at a local restaurant that was off campus. It was nothing fancy but the serving sizes were big, which was loved by the office workers and students nearby._ _

__She wasn’t sure what she thought of Fushiguro. Maki knew they shared the same ancestor just by looking at their faces but it felt surreal. Another person with Heavenly Restriction. Another disgrace to the clan just like her._ _

__But he was strong. Powerful. And a ghost._ _

__Maki had never heard of the man’s existence before. Considering how much the Zenins valued bloodlines, that was near impossible. Even if you didn’t want to, the atmosphere within the clan made sure that you _knew_ everybody. _ _

__Fushiguro Toji picked a very different path than she did. The man chose to desert the Zenin name and left without ever looking back. He had discarded everything. He looked free but Maki knew deep down that he would never be able to clean the blood on his hands or rid the shadows from his eyes. None of them do._ _

__That was the curse of being born into such a crazy clan._ _

__Meanwhile, she was struggling to become recognized as a jujutsu sorcerer so she can go back home and take over as the head of the clan._ _

__Gojo-sensei had gotten them a private room so Panda wouldn’t raise any suspicions. They ate and the food wasn’t bad, especially considering that they just finished a workout._ _

__“So Tsuna is really from ten years ago?” Yuuta asked with astonishment in his voice. “That’s pretty cool. You time traveled.”_ _

__“I guess...I would like to go back soon though.” Sawada laughed dryly. It was reasonable, time travel didn’t seem like something people should be messing with. He wasn’t like any of the people Maki had met before. He was...too normal._ _

__Sawada Tsunayoshi did not belong to their side. His smile was too warm and clean and his body was too relaxed. In a sense, he was like Yuuta. They were both hopeless idiots that saw the good in people first. Yet he didn’t carry the same kind of heaven burden in the way he held himself. He looked like another regular person, someone that shouldn’t have anything to do with curses._ _

__But he was here, with them. As an old acquaintance of Gojo-sensei’s nonetheless. He was obviously on better terms with Gojo than the Zenin outcast. Tsuna had also introduced himself as one with quite the normal background while on the way to the restaurant. How someone with no cursed energy or familial connection to the jujutsu world made friends with Gojo was a mystery._ _

__“Come to think of it, how did you get hit by that bazooka thingy?” asked Panda. “That king of machine would be highly classified wouldn’t it?”_ _

__It was Gojo who answered. “Cause he’s in the mafia.”_ _

__“Huh?”_ _

__“Tsunayoshi here is the tenth boss of Vongola, the biggest organized crime family in the underground society.” Gojo pointed to the brown haired teen. “Also, technically I’m supposed to call him boss.”_ _

__“Wait, what?” Maki stared at their zealous teacher. She knew he was a weirdo and a loose cannon. The man was often late, did spontaneous things that certainly pissed off a lot of people, and he can be annoying as hell sometimes. But the mafia? Gojo-sensei was in the mafia?_ _

__“Only in name,” Sawada tried to explain. “Someone else is actually in charge of the family right now.”_ _

__“But you _are _the boss?” she asked as all of her friends also concentrated their piercing stares at Tsuna.___ _

____“I-I...um, yeah? Kind of?” His voice got quieter as he cowered a bit under the pressure. “I guess I still am?”_ _ _ _

____Maki sized him up again. He looked nothing like the mafia. Absolutely nothing about him shouted danger or violence. Heck, his face was the furthest thing to cunning!_ _ _ _

____“Come on, Boss.” Fushiguro laughed and he threaded his fingers in the teen’s brown hair. “Don’t be shy.”_ _ _ _

____Inumaki noticed the title so he pointed to Fushiguro. “Nori?”_ _ _ _

____Gojo nodded._ _ _ _

____And Maki decided then this was one of those things where you don’t dig too deep or else you’d only find a massive headache at the end. She shoved another spoonful of food into her mouth while the three mafia talked._ _ _ _

____“I guess you know that Xanxus is in charge right now,” Gojo said. “His group is the same old and Vongola is functioning under them. As for your friends...I think that silver haired one is still in university to get an advanced degree. Yamamoto and Sasagawa became pretty good athletes. I don’t know about the rest though.”_ _ _ _

____Gojo handed his phone to Sawada and there were pictures of a young baseball star and what looked like a boxer._ _ _ _

____“This is...” Sawada looked really pleased as he went through the photos. “I’m glad everyone is doing so well.”_ _ _ _

____Maki didn’t know the whole story but one thing was for sure, Sawada was definitely one that valued the people around him just like Yuuta._ _ _ _

____“Don’t be so happy just yet.” Gojo shook his head._ _ _ _

____“Hey,” Fushiguro twirled the fork between his fingers as his eyes narrowed upon their teacher. “He doesn’t need to know. That’s not our business.”_ _ _ _

____Gojo scuffed._ _ _ _

____“I don’t need to know about what?” Sawada asked, clearly confused. Maki knew that her classmates were listening in while pretending to be overly interested in their dinner. Panda, that fried fish was a mush already, just eat it._ _ _ _

____She silently pinched Panda’s side to stop him from stabbing the chopsticks into the dead fish again._ _ _ _

____“It’s nothing.”_ _ _ _

____“Actually—”_ _ _ _

____The fork flew through the air and stopped right before Gojo’s nose. Sawada sighed and he placed a hand on Fushiguro’s chest with a look of disapproval. The teen then turned to their teacher and said, “Go on, Gojo-san.”_ _ _ _

____“Vongola is actually in a state of emergency right now.” Their teacher took off his blindfold to reveal striking blue eyes. There was an eerie sense of something going on in those sapphire orbs. “They are at war with the Millefiore family, which is led by a man named Byakuran. Quite a few of Vongola’s bases around the world was attacked.”_ _ _ _

____Gojo-sensei went on to talk about some things about rings. Maki was sure it was supposed to be a serious conversation but this was their teacher, and he was the type to compare encountering special grade curses as if he was just asked about the direction to McDonald’s. Sure enough, Gojo smiled. “Don’t worry though, things aren’t as bad as it sounds. Xanxus is doing pretty well.”_ _ _ _

____But that didn’t ease the creases between Sawada’s eyebrows. “That’s not all is it? Gojo-san? Toji-san?”_ _ _ _

____His voice was soft but it was certain. And Maki started noticing what was off. There was a slight shift in the air around Sawada. Something wasn’t quite right._ _ _ _

____The adult men shared a look._ _ _ _

____“The Arcobalenos are dead,” answered Gojo._ _ _ _

____The atmosphere changed after that. It got heavier. Thicken with dread and a kind of seriousness Maki didn’t know could come from such a carefree man like Gojo-sensei. Sawada’s lips quivered. Shock took over his features as his hands clenched into fists._ _ _ _

_____This is bad._ _ _ _ _

____“Is it really ok for us to be listening in on something like this?” Yuuta whispered to her quietly with concern in his eyes._ _ _ _

____Maki doesn’t know. Gojo-sensei hadn’t chased them out so it was probably fine. But this tactless man was seriously going to talk about the dead mafia at the dining table, right in front of his students?_ _ _ _

____Finally, Sawada found his voice again. “How?”_ _ _ _

____“Bykuran and his family have got some pretty good fighting power. I haven’t met him in person yet but so far I’ve been hearing some bad rumors about that guy. Quite a psychopath if you ask me. They’ve been targeting a lot of Vongola’s known associates lately and they are looking for you.” He drove his knife into the meat on his plate. “It’s kind of annoying really. So when Tsunayoshi goes back to the past, remember to take this dude out of the picture.”_ _ _ _

____He meant kill._ _ _ _

____Gojo-sensei’s words sent Sawada into silence again. The teen looked down at the table and Maki felt like the rice in her mouth tasted just like sand as she studied the gloom on Sawada’s face. She blamed Gojo for making this dinner sucked._ _ _ _

____“Leaf mustard?” Inumaki handed a cold drink to Sawada. Maki knew that the cursed words user was asking if the other teen was alright. They don’t know who had died but they’ve dealt with enough deaths to know how it must feel._ _ _ _

____“...I’m alright,” Sawada smiled at them. “Thanks, Inumaki-san.”_ _ _ _

____But that smile wasn’t alright._ _ _ _

____“Congratulations, you made the food taste horrible you asshole.” Fushiguro started throwing the chopsticks at Gojo like they were weapons. Some of them even embedded themselves into the table after getting deflected by Gojo. “Who cares if those mafia go down? You know that Tsuna never wanted the position and whatever happens has nothing to do with us.”_ _ _ _

____“Who do you think has to go clean up if a real bad curse gets born from their fights?” Gojo retorted with a disgusted look. “Me. We’re already busy enough as it is so I’d rather not have to go out of the country right now.”_ _ _ _

____Fushiguro looked like he wanted to say something else but Sawada stopped him._ _ _ _

____“Toji-san,” the teen said softly. “I think we might need to get in contact with Xanxus later. If Byakuran is going after people associated with Vongola...wouldn’t Gokudera and the others be in danger as well? Megumi and Tsumiki too.”_ _ _ _

____He didn’t sound commanding or in a panic. Sawada stated that as naturally as if he was just making an observation about the weather. His face was so gentle and calm too, as if he was praying._ _ _ _

____There it was, the “off”. That strange sense crept up her skin and she was sure her classmates noticed too._ _ _ _

____Fushiguro didn’t look too happy but he didn’t say anything._ _ _ _

____“Well, no use thinking too deep about it now.” Gojo clapped his hands together. “Eat up,Tsunayoshi. You probably haven’t eaten properly since you arrived in this era yet. Don’t worry, I’m paying.”_ _ _ _

____So they returned to their food while Maki sipped on her drink. She tried not to think about it too much but Fushiguro and Sawada sure were a strange couple._ _ _ _

____It wasn’t just the age difference that had thrown her off at first. Fushiguro might not have any cursed energy and threw away the Zenin name, but he was just like them. His eyes contained the same madness and there was so much blood on his hands. She could tell that from the way he moved, the hard lines of his jaw, and the tension in his muscles. The road they walked was one built with bloodstained knives and white bones. They were always anticipating. Waiting, expecting for danger, assuming the worst. Otherwise they wouldn’t be alive then._ _ _ _

____Even if they hadn’t interacted for long, she could tell he was a man with no respect for anything or anyone. He cared not for death or dignity._ _ _ _

____But Sawada was the polar opposite._ _ _ _

____He felt like a lightweight. Yet he was one with too much heart to spare. Sawada cherished the life of those around him, even if it costs his own._ _ _ _

____Maki doesn’t hate fools like him but those people generally die out of her life before she could get too close. In a sense, it was probably better that way._ _ _ _

____Gojo-sensei went to pay while they prepared to leave. Once out of the restaurant, Maki felt the cool air of the night waking her up a bit. Her classmates went a bit further ahead to buy the sweets that Gojo had told them to get._ _ _ _

____Beside her, Fushiguro had an arm around Sawada. They seemed to do that a lot, keep each other just within reach._ _ _ _

____“See you later, Gojo-san.” Sawada waved at them as they parted ways. The two outsiders weren’t going back to the school with them._ _ _ _

____Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Gojo smiling at her. That damn teacher might be irresponsible and childish, but he knew what he was doing when he put his heart to things._ _ _ _

____In Fushiguro, Maki saw a possibility. She saw a chance for her to be better, stronger, faster, and a way to make that trash pile family of hers crumble down in tears. She wanted to be more like Fushiguro._ _ _ _

____Just before their car disappeared around the corner, Maki saw Fushiguro leaned down in the dazzling lights of the busy street. His lips sealed with Sawada’s and Maki felt a headache coming on._ _ _ _

____These stupid adults in her life was making her want to stab someone. Even if they were an item, does he not remember that Sawada was from ten years ago? And he does _that_ on a street full of people?_ _ _ _

____She took what she was just thinking back. She wasn’t going to be more like Fushiguro in this sense. Not in a million years._ _ _ _

____Maki also felt sorry for Sawada, she’d rather face a special grade curse than be in his shoes right now._ _ _ _

____"Gojo-sensei," she called to the man on the passenger seat._ _ _ _

____"Yeah?"_ _ _ _

____"Fushiguro is an idiot isn't he?"_ _ _ _

____The white hair man cracked a smile. "I can't agree more!"_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just setting up the tyl arc for now...next chapter is Byakuran and will elaborate on what is happening in the mafia world.


	42. Ten Years Later - 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:
> 
> There are some more intimate scenes in this chapter (I tried, I can't write). 
> 
> Also, I hope I got Byakuran's characterization right.

40

Italy.

Byakuran sat down on the sofa in his office as he stared out of the large windows beside him. The sky was a bright blue but his mood wasn’t as sunny. 

This world of his was a strange strange place.

Now, he had seen many different worlds at this point and the Byakurans in those parallel universes had conquered a lot of them too. This world was a game for those in power while the rest were pawns on the board. 

And nothing more.

So he planned and schemed. He used the knowledge acquired from the other worlds and built his own web. Byakuran quickly rose to power within the Gesso family. Then he started expanding outwards. At first, they were nothing. Compared to Cavallone or Vongola, the Gessos were mediocre and mostly forgotten by people.  
They were the green leaves, the grass on the side, and the wallflowers during balls.

But Byakuran knew people and he knew the art of manipulation well. Soon, their name became equal to that of a black horse. He got power, he got wealth...and he got respect and fear. 

Yet it wasn’t enough.

There was a slight problem with knowing too much. He started to lose the anticipation and excitement. Byakuran knew what would happen with every move he made. He could predict the exact course of action his enemies will take, what they would say, and even tell what they were thinking.

After all, he had seen it all before in the other worlds. 

But the process of gaining power still gave him some thrill. Each world was different and the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings could cause a storm. Life was a game. And the “boss” of every game Byakuran played was almost always Vongola. 

It was no different in this world. He heard news of Vongola’s prosperity and its tight hold on the underground society. Vongola was the head of this darker world and the empire Byakuran was going to overthrow. 

“Vongola is currently under Xanxus’s rule,” his subordinate said to him.

At that time, Byakuran had just become the boss of the Millefiore family. He hadn’t started targeting Vongola yet. If there was one thing he knew about war, it was that information was important. He could be armed with the knowledge from a thousand worlds but one change in a small detail could mean game over for him.

That was what made conquering the multiverse exciting. 

“Xanxus is the Tenth, you say?” Byakuran wasn’t that surprised. He had seen a few worlds where Sawada Tsunayoshi wasn’t the Tenth boss of Vongola. Sometimes it was Enrico, other times Xanxus ruled, and a few of them had other candidates...but he took over those worlds without problem. 

“No.” The other young man shook his head. “The Tenth is Sawada Tsunayoshi.”

“But Xanxus is in charge?” Now that peaked his interest a little. “Where did Sawada Tsunayoshi go?”

His mind glossed over a few possibilities. A puppet boss. A fake and a front because Xanxus didn’t have the blood. But it didn’t sound like Xanxus’s style.

 _What could have caused this change?_

“Sawada eloped.”

Byakuran nearly choked on his marshmallow but he didn’t let it show. He smiled and asked steadily, “Come again please?”

“He ran off with his Sun Guardian.”

“Sasagawa Ryohei?” That was an unexpected candidate.

The young man looked confused but he carried out his duty and explained. “Actually, the Sun Guardian is a man nicknamed the Heavenly Tyrant.” 

Now, Byakuran had to put his favorite sweets down. He hadn’t heard of such a person in the other worlds. A new person. Another possibility.

How exciting. 

They tried to gather information on this Heavenly Tyrant but there was very little on him. They said he was a cold-blooded killer. A madman with too many loose screws. But that was it, not even the Vongola had much on him. Apparently he took Sawada Tsunayoshi right before the teen was supposed to take on the mantle as Decimo officially so not a lot of people even got to meet his face. 

Byakuran doesn’t remember how long he laughed that day after he heard the news. But he does know that he had a hard time eating the marshmallows afterwards because his stomach hurt from the cramps. 

It looked like Sawada won’t be a problem in this universe.

Back to the present, Byakuran piled the marshmallows into a short tower as he pondered. It wasn’t common for him to feel out of his elements, not when he had planned this kind of thing so many times before. 

But here he was, thinking. 

He remembered the meeting with Xanxus. The man looked exactly like how he had seen him in the other universes. He was all scowls and arrogance.

It was after they had killed off a few of the Arcobalenos. Out of tradition and out of a need for seeing his enemy in this universe with his own eyes, Byakuran agreed to meet with the man in charge of Vongola to discuss a peace treaty. 

Of course, neither side was too into the negotiation for peace. Maybe if it had been Sawada, they would have tried but Xanxus? It was a miracle the man hadn’t used his signature flame of wrath right there in the meeting room.

Actually, Byakuran was sure Xanxus was going to blast them all but the man had stopped when Byakuran questioned the whereabouts of the Vongola rings. Xanxus wasn’t wearing them and neither was Superbi Squalo. In fact, his people hadn’t heard of the Varia using the Vongola rings even if box weapons were becoming the main way of battle now. 

Xanxus sat back down and he had a weird look on his face. “Don’t you know? Sawada has the sky ring and the idiot he ran off with has the sun.”

The Vongola’s biggest scandal of the generation. The Tenth boss eloped with an older man, leaving the Varia head in charge of the family. No one has been able to catch the runaway lovebirds yet. 

But Xanxus didn’t care about the rumors and the gossip. He merely kicked his feet onto the table and laughed. “You want the rings? You go find those two pieces of shit yourself.”

His voice didn’t contain any trace of shame at all. Xanxus even extended his hands out as if he had given up. A rare and strange gesture for a man like him to do. Byakuran might have a crack in his facade then because Xanxus smirked. 

“If you run into Sawada, tell him that if he dares to fuck that son of a bitch while wearing _my_ sky ring, I’m going to blast them both to dust when he finally shows his sorry ass in front of me.”

For the first time in many many years, Byakuran was at a loss for words. It wasn’t just the vulgar words that had spooked him. It was the images planted in his head by Xanxus’s declaration. Now, he knew what Sawada looked like. He had fought him in countless other worlds and defeated the young Decimo over and over. And even he had to admit, it was very and absolutely weird to put Sawada’s face in those scenes. 

The peace treaty...of course it was a no go at the end. 

Byakuran returned to his base and here he was, sitting in his office when his brain rebooted. He had no intention of going after Sawada if he wasn’t part of Vongola. But now...if he wanted the rings he would have to compete with Vongola to find their rogue boss.

He can’t count himself as clearing the game unless he had acquired all the special items. Also, they were the mafia. There was a big difference between taking down a proxy and the real boss. There can be countless people in command but there was only ever one boss. Even if Sawada hadn’t run the family at all, he was still their head and he owned the ring that symbolized Vongola.

Byakuran needed to defeat him to show the world he had complete victory and superiority.

Otherwise, what kind of world domination would that be?

“Who has the rest of the rings?” he asked with a slight hum. It was probably the same people if Sawada was the Tenth but the Varia could also have them.

“They are all with the Thunder guardian. It’s a man named Gojo Satoru.” 

Byakuran stopped moving. He turned around but he moved too quickly and he knocked over the marshmallow tower. “Leave,” he ordered coldly.

His subordinates left in a hurry. They shut the door tight after him and Byakuran placed a hand on his forehead. Originally, he thought he could flush Sawada Tsunayoshi out by targeting his friends. That was the kind of person the Vongola Decimo was. He cared too much for those around him that he was unlike a mafia boss. No matter the universe.

That was his strength and downfall. And Byakuran had taken advantage of that countless times before. 

However, Gojo's existence changed everything. 

Going after Sawada’s acquaintances would be a waste of time. Especially considering who the Thunder guardian was.

“Out of all the worlds where I had to face Gojo Satoru head on, I’ve never won once.” Byakuran pouted while he talked to his own reflection in the window. “He’s like a bug in the game.”

Now, he loved games and anything that could keep the boredom away. But fighting Gojo was no fun. After dying so many times over and over at the jujutsu sorcerer’s hands, even Byakuran was starting to feel a little traumatized. 

He sighed. 

But then a smile came back onto his face. This world was definitely more interesting than the rest. There was a new player on the board, a missing Vongola Decimo, and a “god” the other hims weren’t able to beat before.

So what if he became the first? The first to defeat this impossible game?

Just thinking about that made him grin. 

“Come on, Tsunayoshi-kun.” Byakuran threw the marshmallow into his mouth. “Let’s begin this game of cat and mouse then.”

#

Tsuna kept eyes on the rain outside. It had started to drizzle after they checked into a different hotel for the night. 

He didn’t expect the news Gojo told him. 

Reborn was dead. How was that possible? The tutor was the world’s best hitman, a devilish teacher with a cursed body. How could he have died so easily? The rest of the things weren’t happy news either. Gojo said Byakuran was looking for him and Tsuna could only assume it was because of the Vongola rings. He didn’t know why Xanxus hadn’t taken them back yet but the assassin probably had his reasons. Xanxus might appear as irrational and hot tempered but he could lead when he wanted to.

Gojo had said that Tsuna didn’t need to worry too much. He just had to keep a low profile since Byakuran’s men would be looking for him. They just had to wait this out until Tsuna could go back to the past.

But Tsuna knew he couldn’t do that. It didn’t feel right. What about his mother? Kyoko and Haru? Bianchi and the kids? What would happen to them if he ran? 

He felt a headache coming back on. 

This world, it never gave him the time to be scared or hesitate. There was always something else to do, another demon chasing him in his sleeps. It pushed and pushed, driving him forward as if that was all he needed to continue on. And he had no choice but to run, to continue down whatever path the fates had decided for him or fall into the abyss and shatter. Tsuna sighed. 

He wasn’t close with any of the Arcobalenos. 

Reborn was not his friend. He was a hitman sent by the Ninth to tutor him, to make him into a suitable boss and Tsuna resented everything they tried to push on him. But Tsuna can’t deny the fact that it was Reborn who brought all these people he called friends into his life. Gokudera, Yamamoto, Hibari, Royhei...even Mukuro and Chrome. They made Tsuna feel something he hadn’t felt when he was with the Fushiguros. It was the first time he had ever had fun with people his age and did things that were suited for his age. Normal school things. No curses or bullies. 

And he had grown too fond of it to want to let go. He supposed he needed to thank Reborn for at least bringing that into his life. Still... 

_Why do the people around him always seem to get in such trouble?_

_Was it because of the blood in his veins?_

_Is it all because of him?_

He felt darkness shielded his world. 

Toji’s hand was over his eyes as the man sat down behind him on the bed. 

“Don’t think about it. It’s not your fault.”

“Toji-san...ow! Hey!”

Tsuna felt pain on the back of his neck as the man bites down hard. He wasn’t sure if there was blood but it certainly felt like it left a mark. Ten years later Toji shoved him down on the bed and climbed on top of Tsuna. His body pressed down and it was heavier than Tsuna remembered. Denser and thicker with more power compacted into those muscles. Toji claimed the teen’s mouth with his and he used one hand to pin both of Tsuna’s wrists above his head. 

The grip was tighter than what Tsuna was used to. The lips on his also felt more aggressive and impatient.

His mind was lost to the sense of another’s tongue chasing his own. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Whatever thought he had was pushed out of his head when he felt a hand under his shirt and trailed down his spine. The air had gotten so thin, and his skin felt as if they had been lit ablaze. He struggled, only to feel Toji’s mouth trail down his chin and left marks down the side of his neck.

Tsuna wasn’t sure if he should be scared. This was way too much for him to handle. He couldn’t think, not with the world turning into a blur before his eyes. He thinks he saw green again. A bright and familiar green that took over his entire field of vision as his lips were sealed again. It felt like he was melting. 

He couldn’t hear anything. Not the sound of rain outside or the radio that had been playing in the background. His body wasn’t his own. It felt more like he was floating on the clouds. 

But then the man suddenly stopped and released the hold on him. 

“Don’t think about it. None of this is your fault,” Toji said as he pressed their foreheads close. “The mafia is filled with idiots. Your mom and those girls were sent out of the country before all this started. They aren’t going to waste resources going after your friends either since Gojo has the rest of the rings. And you don’t have to worry about Megumi or Tsumiki. The kid can fight cursed spirits, there’s no way he can’t kill a few more buffoons.”

That wasn’t encouraging or uplifting in any sense. But Tsuna knew that was the best Toji could do. He had never been good at these kinds of things. 

Tsuna curled up in the man’s embrace. “Toji-san...I’m scared.”

In this unfamiliar time, where everything had changed so much. He felt out of place and powerless. There were new enemies, new danger, but the pull trying to get him thrown back into the mafia world was still there. New threats were haunting them. People he knew were attacked and died. It felt like there was an endless reservoir of vicious intentions following their every move.

“Why? This is better than fighting special grades isn’t it? At least we know who we’re dealing with.”

“Those aren’t the same thing,” Tsuna complained softly. 

“They are to me. Cursed spirits or mafia...we just have to kill them all before they kill us. Go to sleep.” Toji smiled while he slipped a hand under Tsuna’s shirt. The touch made the teen shivered. “Or do you want to continue? I don’t mind it either way.”

Tsuna felt his face overheating again as he smacked Toji’s face away and threw the sheet over his own head. Toji laughed as he rolled off Tsuna. The teen hid in the warm darkness and somehow, he fell sound asleep before he even knew it.

When he woke up, they were on the bullet train. He lifted his head off Toji’s shoulder and the man opened his eyes. 

“Looks like we’re in Namimori,” Toji yawned before Tsuna could open his mouth. His voice was a bit raspy but he got up and picked up their backpacks just as the train stopped. “Come on and keep your head down.”

Tsuna followed him while keeping the cap on his head low. “Where are we going?”

“There’s someone you should probably meet. They’ve been bothering me for a few days now.”

They started moving towards the mountains near Namimori. The place looked different from the one in Tsuna’s memory. There were new greens and different species of flowers. Tall trees shielded the light from reaching the ground and Toji mentioned for Tsuna to get closer.

The older man hauled him up like how he used to when they were moving around back in the Zenin clan. 

“I can walk on my own.”

“Too slow. I don’t want to camp out in this dump for the night.” 

And they were off. They moved between branches and trees, ran across small streams and headed deeper into the woods. Tsuna could hear the sound of the forest. Insects and small animals, rustling leaves and snapping branches...the wind rushed by his exposed skin and he could sense the city getting further and further away. 

They were going a lot deeper into the mountains than Tsuna had ever been before. 

When they finally stopped, Tsuna saw that they were in the middle of nowhere. 

“Toji-san?”

“It’s defensive camouflage. There’s a door to the secret base here.” Toji set him down and took out a metallic yellow box and a ring. It wasn’t the sun ring though. Flames lit up on the ring and he shoved it into the box. There was a bright light and Tsuna lifted his hand to shield his eyes. 

“Come on, we’re going down.” 

Tsuna saw stairs leading underground in front of them when he opened his eyes again. They went down and Tsuna found himself standing in quite a massive space. It was like something out of a sci-fi movie. 

“This is—”

“You built this. Since you are still the Tenth, Xanxus can’t really stop you from using Vongola’s resources.”

Tsuna didn’t know what he should say. This place was impressive. But it also signaled danger. Otherwise, why would the future him need to build a secret base in the middle of nowhere?

Toji led him down the confusing corridors and they arrived in front of a room. 

“That person should be in here. Hurry up and get this over with.” He took out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth without lighting it. His body was relaxed but the expression on his face wasn’t pleasant at all. 

So Tsuna opened the door and his eyes went wide as he felt his lips quivering.

“Reborn!” he shouted.

“Ciaossu,” his tutor greeted with a familiar grin. The baby hitman turned his head and faced the teen properly. Reborn stood up when he saw Tsuna and the tutor from hell lifted his signature grin. “There’s no time, so let’s begin your lesson.”


	43. Ten Years Later - 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the rings, this was how it went during the years:
> 
> Tsuna has them -> Gives to Xanxus and runs off with Toji -> Vongola's scandal and a lot of arguing within the family while Xanxus runs the show -> Byakuran rising + Interfamily war for powerful rings because of box weapons + pressure within the family to find Tsuna causing Xanxus to go "fuck it, Sawada you're handling some of these problems too" -> Sends rings to Tsuna -> Gojo taking all of the guardian rings (except sun) for fun
> 
> TYL Xanxus and Tsuna's relationship had became one that is composed of pissing off the elders of the family together but also creating problems for each other out of spite. Like, Tsuna sending the bills of his run away expenses to Xanxus and Xanxus throwing the responsibility of the rings to Tsuna.

41

“Future Reborn?” Tsuna asked as he walked closer to his tutor. The baby hitman didn’t look like he had aged a day and he was wearing a weird body suit. “Um...what are you wearing?”

“This suit keeps my health from deteriorating.” Reborn moved closer to Tsuna too. “You can say a lot has changed in the past few years. The environment in this era is not good for my health.”

“I thought you were dead.” Gojo had said so.

“I was close to it. Byakuran’s people wouldn’t stop until I am so I faked my own death with a little help. Jujutsu is quite useful when it comes to these things,” said Reborn with a small yet bitter smile. “But the less people that knew I am alive the better.” 

Tsuna bent down and he let out a breath of relief. “Okay. Since you’re not dead can you explain why I can’t return to the past?”

“That’s not the only strange thing that happened to you, Tsuna.” His tutor mentioned for Tsuna to sit down on one of the sofas in the room. “It seems like the ten year bazooka only took you nine years and ten months into the future. As for why you are stuck here, even I don’t know.”

_Huh?_

Tsuna didn’t like the sound of this. But if he was stuck here for now...he needed some answers. Reborn could probably tell what he was thinking as the monitor came on and it showed Namimori Middle.

“Currently, a lot of Vongola’s bases are being attacked simultaneously all over the world because of the Vongola hunt. The Millefiore family is trying to weaken our strength while they gather the Vongola rings. Meaning, they are trying to find you and Fushiguro. I don’t know about Gojo’s side but seeing that he’s still alive and being annoying, the rest of the guardian rings haven’t fallen into the enemies’ hands either.”

“So why did you tell Toji-san to bring me here? Wouldn’t it be better if we kept being on the run? That way no one would ever be able to get the rings.” It didn’t make sense to bring him back to a Vongola base. Anywhere else was probably safer at this moment. Heck, he would probably be more secure in a hotel in the Caribbean. 

“You can’t be on the run forever. This war has to end one way or another which is why you need to assemble the six scattered guardians.” Reborn shook his head but Tsuna kind of felt like the hitman wanted to hit him. It was odd really. The Reborn from ten years ago wouldn’t have hesitated or sounded...so tired. “Byakuran is a greedy man and the Vongola hunt is expanding quite rapidly. Their goal is to eliminate all of Vongola and our associates.”

Great. Wonderful. It was one of _those_. The kind of stubborn and obsessive idiot still stuck in their rebellious and on top of the world phases. They wanted more than they could handle and they weren’t afraid to hurt others to get what they wanted. 

“I-pin and Lambo are out to get Gokudera and Yamamoto. Sasagawa Ryohei went with Mama and the girls when we sent them out of the country. Hibari and the others are currently unaccounted for but there hadn’t been any news of their deaths.”

“Wait, isn’t Xanxus in charge right now? So shouldn’t Byakuran be going after the Varia?” Tsuna wasn’t going to gather his friends for a battle they had no need to partake in. This was the mafia’s war. 

“But they are the tenth generation guardians in name,” the baby hitman spoke in a monotone. His eyes never left Tsuna’s as he did so. “That makes them targets. When the family is in crisis, the boss should gather all the guardians and fight. But in your case...we’re gathering them to make sure they don’t die out there. The main battlefield is still in Italy but we need to be careful. Communication with the CEDEF had been cut off and there was an attack on Yamamoto’s father a few weeks back.”

“Mr. Yamamoto?” Tsuna remembered the sushi chef. “Is he alright?”

“He’s fine but he will need to be with the doctors for a while.”

_Why does this keep happening?_

Tsuna doesn’t know the answer to that. Maybe it was a curse. Maybe he was just that unlucky. This would be so much easier if it was a curse.  
If there was a curse, all they had to do was to exorcise it.

But their opponent was human this time. And call him a hypocrite, but there was a difference in killing people and cursed spirits. At least, even just thinking about it feels different. 

He didn’t care about the war between the mafia. The thing that mattered was that Byakuran declared war on his friends. He threatened Tsuna’s friends and family. Tsuna knew he could wait it out, until Xanxus and Byakuran decided a winner amongst themselves but that takes time. Time where the people dear to him have to live in fear and anticipation that the grim reaper’s blade will come for their heads in their sleep. He thought about what Gojo had shown him. Yamamoto was a shining baseball star, Gokudera and all his academic awards...they shouldn’t have that life stripped from them.

The brown haired teen wiped a hand over his face then rubbed his temple tiredly.

“Toji-san,” Tsuna called and when he looked up, the man was standing behind him. “What do I need to do to end this?”

Toji laughed but Tsuna couldn’t really see his expression with the light casting down from behind the man’s head. When he spoke, his voice was dark and rich, yet it contained a hint of frustration. “You never change do you? Always taking on other people’s problems as your own burden like an idiot.”

His hand touched Tsuna’s face and it was rougher than Tsuna remembered. The callus from years of wielding a variety of different weapons made his hands rough and hard. It had gotten worse than it was ten years ago, which told Tsuna that these years hadn’t exactly been peaceful either. 

He stood up and held the man’s hand in his. It was these hands that kept him alive when he was young, and they continue to protect him until this day. Tsuna wasn’t going to let this go. No curse or mafia was ever going to take those he held dear away from him.

“You can’t fight Byakuran like this,” Reborn said from his spot. “The way of battle had changed drastically. You would need to train in order to be able fight him properly. Otherwise, you don’t stand a chance.”

“Way of battle?” Tsuna wasn’t sure what his tutor meant. Fighting was always the same thing. A punch, a kick, a sword, a gun...so long as the other guy doesn’t move by the end of it, it was the way of battle.

Toji and Reborn shared a look.

“The rings plus the dying will flame can open these boxes.” Toji showed him the small metallic box in his hand. It was different from the one he had used to get them into the base. “It’s the opposite of cursed energy really. It uses your life force or life energy in a sense so even I have it.” 

He shoved the sun ring in and the box opened. There was a bright yellow light and it forced the teen to shut his eyes tight. Tsuna felt something brushed by his fingers gently. It was too quick for him to catch what it was but when he opened his eyes, he nearly had a heart attack.

A patteraless.

A patteraless was staring right at him.

It was golden from head to tail and it was huge, easily over three meters long. It lifted its head so its sharp eyes with slit pupils were looking right into Tsuna’s own eyes. Tsuna watched as it wrapped a portion of its body around Toji’s arm and shoulders. Even then, a good part of it was still hanging out. 

“This is a box animal,” Toji scratched the giant snake’s chin with his finger. “Think of it as a shikigami that helps you in battle. Oh man, I really regret not taking a picture of the old Zenin geezers’ faces when they saw it. Gojo’s got a box too but he never used it.”

He had a wide smile on his face, which Tsuna assumed meant he shattered the Zenins worldview pretty nastly.  
Tsuna reached a hand out and patted the python on the head. Its scales were cold and hard but it was really smooth. “So I have to learn how to summon something like this?”

“Yep.”

Reborn jumped onto Tsuna’s shoulder. “Someone else will be teaching you. She is currently out scouting for information and should be back pretty soon. Meanwhile, considering how much he loves this town, you should be able to find some clues to the whereabouts of Hiabri here in Namimori.”

Tsuna sighed. He guessed that was true. It was hard to imagine Hibari would ever leave Namimori. “Let’s get this over with then.”

#

They were moving towards the remains of an abandoned factory, where another entrance into the base was situated. Tsuna yawned as he followed Toji. 

There was no one around and it might have been his imagination but the town felt like it contained more...shadows. Fear. The landscape had changed a bit but Tsuna could see a few familiar places and shops here and there. 

“I still can’t believe Gojo-san became a teacher.” The jujutsu sorcerer wasn’t that type of person at all. Tsuna tried to imagine Gojo in a classroom and all he got was Gojo mimicking weird noises and that constituted teaching. It was understandable. Gojo was a genius and not all geniuses knew how to teach things that came as naturally as breathing to them.

Toji laughed. “I can’t believe the old farts _let_ him. He must have made some big threats in order to get the position.”

Now that Tsuna could believe. It was definitely Gojo’s style to threaten the higher ups of the jujutsu world. He'd probably do it as loud and extravagant as he could too. 

Suddenly, an explosion rocked through the ground. The wall on the far end of the street was blown out and the rubble went flying as the dark smoke raised into the air. Tsuna could see people standing in the smoke. The figures were familiar too. 

“Lambo! I-pin!” he shouted once the dust settled a bit so he could recognize who they were. Ten years later Lambo and I-pin were fighting someone, but the enemies weren’t on the ground. 

Someone with long purple hair was in the air. He was wearing a black uniform lined with silver. Meanwhile, darkly colored flames emitted from beneath his feet to keep him in the sky.

“It’s the Black Spell,” Toji said and his expression soured. “He’s a part of the Millefiore family. Gods, these rats are everywhere.”

Tsuna caught a name or two drifting along the wind as the young man in black blabbered about killing his friends. There was another enemy named “Tazaru” while this one in front of them was “Nosaru”. 

“We should go help,” Tsuna didn’t like how things were looking for Lambo and I-pin. It looked like they were hurt. 

“Hold on a sec, they’re not alone.” Toji held him back and Tsuna saw Nosaru coming down with a giant flaming scythe. But it was stopped. A blade held it off and Tsuna’s eyes widened.

_Yamamoto?_

It was definitely Yamamoto. The man had black hair and the sword in his hand cut across smoothly. It was the Shigure Souen style. Yet it didn’t cut deep enough since the enemy retreated into the sky.

Tsuna ran up closer to the scene. “Lambo! I-pin! Are you two alright?”

“Vongola!” Fifteen years old Lambo smiled at him. He was still moving but there was some blood dripping down the corner of his forehead. 

“Gokudera is fighting another one of the enemies over there! Please go help him!”

“Toji-san,” Tsuna said as he helped I-pin up from the ground. It didn’t look like the teen had any broken bones but she might have sprained her ankle. 

The man took off while the battle between Yamamoto and Nosaru continued. Tsuna could hear the sound of explosions going off not far from here. It must be Gokudera. Nosaru slashed and hacked, fire came burning down to the ground but it was cancelled out by a shield of water. Tsuna saw Yamamoto breaking through the liquid before it fell apart and the edge of his blade cut into Nosaru’s chest. 

“Ugh!”

The purple haired man crashed into the wired fence and slumped to the ground. 

“Yamamoto-kun!” Tsuna called as his friend turned around. Yamamoto had grown taller and the lines of his jaw had gotten a bit harder.

“Tsuna?” Yamamoto walked closer with a huge smile on his face. But then he placed a hand on his chin as he studied Tsuna from left and right. “Eh? Is it my imagination? Did you get smaller?”

Tsuna scratched his head and explained the situation with the ten year bazooka.

“I see, well it’s good to see you doing so well!” Yamamoto laughed as he patted the teen on the back. “It’s been a while since all of us got together. Gokudera was with us earlier. He should be coming—”

Right then, someone crashed into the ground a few feet beside them. It was a gruff looking man with dark skin in the same uniform as Nosaru. Then, they heard a scream as another person came tumbling out of the ruined factory.

“Ouch!” The newcomer had silver hair and he rubbed his hip while climbing back to his feet. Then he turned to the open hole in the concrete building and shouted angrily, “I can walk by myself you asshole! I didn’t need your help!”

“It’s not like I want to help you,” Toji said while he crouched down on the slanted roof. “You were just in my way.”

Tsuna saw Goudera seething as he cursed very colorfully at the Sorcerer Killer, accompanied by many not so appropriate hand gestures. He guessed somethings only escalate as time go by.

“Um..Gokudera-kun?” he called meekly.

“Tsuna!” The older Gokudera turned around and came to hug him. Maybe he realized the height wasn’t right as a puzzled look flashed across his face. Gokudera had gotten a lot bigger too and his hair was a bit longer. “Wait...the ten year bazooka?”

Tsuna nodded.

Gokudera’s lips moved a bit but no sound came out. The look on his face was...strange but finally, he sighed and patted Tsuna on the shoulder. 

“We should probably get moving. There will be Millefiore scouts coming to find out what happened to those two that we defeated.”

Tsuna nodded. Lambo and I-pin should probably get checked out too.

“Hold it, there’s no way I would let prey this big go!” A rough voice came from behind them. “You’re Vongola Tenth’s guardians aren’t you? There’s no escape from my dark slicer!”

Tsuna saw multiple dark spinning blades lit on fire coming towards them. Just as he was about to dodge out of the way, the fire extinguished suddenly and the blades dropped onto the dirt. 

A giant black dog chewed into the Black Spell soldier’s left shoulder as it pounced on him, tackling him to the ground. He screamed in pain but then his head hit the rock on the floor and he went silent. 

Someone else stood by the entrance to the factory field. The sun was setting behind him and it was hard to make out his features against the light. Tsuna squinted as he got up. Seeing how he attacked Byakuran’s man, he probably wasn't another enemy. Tsuna felt something familiar, a current of power that he knew well. It was jujutsu. 

“Why is it that everytime I see you, it’s always because there’s someone out for your blood?” His eyes got adjusted to the lights and Tsuna found himself staring into a familiar green that was filled with annoyance and distaste. The newcomer had spiky black hair and porcelain skin. He was tall and lean, with long eyelashes and a twisted scowl as the veins popped along his forehead impatiently. “And telling us to make a trip all the way here on a weekday...Don’t you idiot adults know that we have school?”

He was young, probably only Tsuna’s age judging from the school uniform. It was composed of a more western styled suit jacket, white shirt, trousers, and a tie. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he called the dog back to his side.

Toji scuffed as he hopped down the half ruined rooftop. “You didn’t have to come.”

A rock was thrown. It shot past Toji’s head and hit the metal pipe behind him and left a dent then bounced off to the ground. 

The teen clicked his tongue with disappointment. “And wait until we got attacked back in Saitama too? No way. You shitty excuse of a dad.”

_Dad?_

Tsuna looked down and he saw the name tag on the other middleschooler’s white uniform jacket. It read: _Fushiguro Megumi_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Middle school Megumi is here :)
> 
> Also, TYL Gokudera and Yamamoto won't be as strong as they were in canon because they haven't been fighting as much in the past years.


	44. Ten Years Later - 5

42

Tsuna was at a loss for words as he stared at the other teen’s face.

He could see the resemblance. Megumi already looked like Toji when he was young and time had only carved that similarity deeper into his bones. It was the same emerald eyes and sharp jawline. Only, his skin was pale and his hair stuck up in random directions just like Yuu’s. 

“Tsuna!” someone called his name from behind Megumi and the brown haired teen felt himself being tackled in an embrace. The body against his was softer, and long black hair came into view.

A girl. 

The girl holding onto him had most of her hair tied into a ponytail while two loose strands fringed her face. She was wearing the same style of uniform as Megumi, only hers was matched with a dark skirt and stockings. There was a hiking backpack on her back.

“...Tsumiki?” he asked. 

She let him go and there were tears in her eyes as she nodded. “It’s me.”

The face before him matched up with the little girl’s. Tsuna reached a hand out and patted her on the head just as he did when she was little. “You’ve grown. Megumi too.”

He smiled at the other teen standing a bit further away. Megumi looked away as he picked up the bag at his feet and came closer. The dog melted back into his shadow as he stood in front of Tsuna. 

“...Gojo-sensei sent us. He said Tsumiki would be safer with Vongola right now.” Megumi looked uneasy while he explained why they were here. “That idiot just randomly called about two days ago and told us to find a way here on our own without using major public transit. ‘Think of it as training,’ he said and we haven’t been able to reach him since.”

Two days ago? Wouldn’t that be about the same time as when Tsuna arrived in this era?

“Megumi, it’s not nice to call Satoru-san names,” Tsumiki chided.

The black haired teen only scowled. “He should have at least warned us that those people wouldn’t care about the public. Who tries to blow up a whole building when they can’t even be sure their targets were in there?”

Tsumiki quiet down. Hesitation moved across her features and so did fear. They were attacked by Byakuran’s men too. Judging by the sound of it, the enemy didn’t care for collateral damage either.

Sighing, Tsuna pulled them both in closer in his arms. “I’m glad to see you two and made it here safely.”

It was strange really. He had noticed it when he first saw ten years older Lambo but seeing the Fushiguro siblings all grown up hit him harder. It sort of solidified the feeling he had since he arrived in this era. The toddlers he once carried in his arms had grown to be taller than him now.

He felt the bodies against him relaxed a bit but Megumi pushed away quickly. 

“We should go,” the teen said and he looked away. For some reason, he seemed to be a lot more silent than Tsuna remembered. “It’s not safe to stay in the same place after fighting those weird fire shooting guys. More of them will be coming.” 

“I have to agree with the kid here,” Gokudera also said. His voice was a bit deeper than ten years ago. He then turned to look at Toji and scuffed. “At least your kid seemed to have common sense.”

Toji only laughed.

#

After they had returned to the base, Reborn came to meet them in one of the larger meeting rooms. Tsumiki offered to make everyone some tea and went off into the kitchen. Her smile felt a little forced and Tsuna didn’t like it. But it didn’t feel right to make her stay around and listen in on things that obviously won’t do her state of mind well either.

Tsumiki wasn't a mafia or a jujutsu sorcerer. 

Reborn studied the group as they scattered around the place. Gokudera and Yamamoto took the chairs on the side. Lambo and I-pin were getting bandaged up on the sofa against the wall so the only spot left was the long couch in front of the giant monitor screen. Meanwhile, the Fushiguro father and son each took one end of the couch, sitting as far away from each other as they could. But despite the distance, the similarities on their faces and the way they sat almost made Tsuna laugh. They both sat with their legs spreaded open slightly. The only difference was that Toji had an arm hanging over the back of the couch while Megumi sat slightly slouched forward. 

“With Gokudera and Yamamoto here, you have half of your guardians now.”

Tsuna sat down between the Fushiguros. “If we need to gather all the guardians...we will need Gojo-san here too, wouldn’t we?”

That might be a bit harder to do considering how busy the white haired jujutsu sorcerer was. He can’t be tied up here for god knows how long this “war” was going to last.

“He’s not coming,” Megumi said. 

Tsuna looked at him. It seems like Megumi had perfected his poker face over the years and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. The teen was thinner than Tsuna imagined him to be but it looks like he was still growing. 

“Gojo-sensei is busy dealing with the curses and teaching. He’s not somebody that should be stuck in school anyways. He left this with us a while ago and he said to take this with us when we come to Namimori.”

He handed over a small black box. The rest of the guardian rings were inside and they were all nicely chained up to the Mammon chain.

Reborn took a peak at the rings as well. “The enemy still thinks the rings are with Gojo so they will be chasing after him for a while longer. He is buying us more time.”

The role of the lightning guardian was to take fire, to direct the danger away from the family. And Gojo was doing just that. The man might not look like it but he can play his role well when things get serious.

Thank you, Gojo-san.

“Then we’d be missing a thunder won’t we?” Goudera asked. 

“I’m still here you know? I’m not the crybaby I was back then anymore,” Lambo complained loudly as he hissed at the contact of disinfectants on his skin. “I can cover his spot for now.”

“Sure, go wild.” Toji threw the thunder ring to Lambo before Tsuna could stop him. 

“Wait, Toji-san. Shouldn’t we talk to—”

A hand pressed him down. Toji messed with Tsuna’s hair a bit before letting go. “He’s okay with it. Otherwise he wouldn’t have the kid deliver the thunder one too.”

Quickly, Gokudera and Yamamoto took the rings for rain and storm as well. 

“This is like a call to battle again right?” Yamamoto asked. His smile hadn’t changed over the years. It was like sunshine, bright and radiant. “Good, cause I have got something to say to this Byakuran for attacking my dad.”

“Yamamoto-kun...” Tsuna started but he didn’t have any words of comfort to offer. “I’m sorry.”

It was because of him they got into this mess. The fancy title of Vongola Tenth’s guardians bought nothing but destruction and danger. 

“Hey, it’s not your fault. The past few years were great.” Gokudera patted him on the shoulder. “We might not be working together to lead Vongola into a new golden age but school actually isn’t all that bad. We watched a lot of fireworks together...I would like us to all go together again this year. Yeah, even you Fushiguro.”

The man and the teen both looked at him and Godukera coughed uneasily as two pairs of green eyes stared him down. 

“The older one. So long as you carry all the coal we need for the barbeque,” he added. “The small one can come empty handed.” 

Toji threw the pillow on the side at him while Megumi looked annoyed to be the “small Fushiguro”.

“Since you are here, we should get training on the way as well. Not only Tsuna needs to train. You and Yamamoto both need to level up as well.”

“We already know how to work with the box weapons though?” Yamamoto waved a blue metallic box in his hand. “We haven’t been slacking off.”

“It’s not enough.” Reborn turned to face the door and Tsuna saw a woman with dark blue hair standing by the entrance. 

She was wearing a long cloak and goggles. With large strides, she came into the room and brought a blizzard with her. Tsuna didn’t know who she was but she definitely had a strong aura around her. One that said “get too close and I’ll break your neck”. 

“This is Lal Mirch, she was a trainer for the Italian special forces and she is a part of CEDEF now.” Reborn introduced her background. 

Lal Mirch scanned the room with sharp eyes and she didn’t look particularly happy to see them.

“Do you really think they would last long on a battlefield? These ones have opened a box before so I can’t complain but him,” she said as she pointed to Tsuna. Then her eyes landed on the teen and it felt as if she was trying to create two holes in his body. “I have no interest in training a deserter. A selfish boss that had never run the family for a single hour has no prospect to ignite the ring. Even if he has the sky ring, it’s useless in his hands. He’d be more useful if he just sat here quietly and waited.” 

“Hey, watch your mouth.”

The Fushiguros said in unison. But they glared at each other then looked away. 

“What? Am I wrong to say that he had not sat a day in the office or gave an order as the Don?” Lal Mirch’s tone got harsher. “Wait, he did. The only one he ever gave was to assign his responsibilities away by naming Xanxus the proxy.” 

Tsuna felt a sudden pressure as the air around him shifted. Instinctively, he reached his hands out to both sides and placed it on Toji and Megumi’s knee. 

“I think you’d be quite surprised, Lal Mirch.” Reborn moved in front of her. “You have seen it too haven’t you? When the time comes to protect those they held dear, even the weakest of fools can muster up the courage to face a curse.”

There was something odd about the way Reborn said that but it silenced Lal Mirch. She bit her lip and after a moment, took out a weird looking box. Lal Mirch threw it to Tsuna.

“Open it then,” she ordered. “Prove you’re worth my time. If you can’t do it within the hour then i’m out of here. I’ll go after Byakuran myself if I have to.”

Tsuna looked down at the box and he slipped the sky ring on his finger. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine a flame on the ring but nothing happened. Even if he strained and forced his mind to think of how important this must be, nothing came out. 

He couldn’t do it. 

“I knew it. He doesn’t have the resolution.”

“Wait a moment,” Reborn landed on Tsuna’s knee and his dark eyes gazed into brown ones. “You’re thinking too hard, Dame-Tsuna. That’s not you. Look around you, what did you want to do?”

Tsuna surveyed his surroundings. His friends all looked older, but they chose to stay by his side for all these years. He saw Toji, who stuck out with all this crazy Vongola bullshit even though he could have ghosted long ago. Gojo too, he might be the strongest but that doesn’t mean Tsuna could just stick all his problems on him. Yet, that man chose to take the fire and distract the enemies. Finally, his eyes found Megumi and Tsumiki, who had just come in with a tray of tea.

They were no longer small children but Tsuna knew the mafia’s path wasn’t the one for them. 

“I-I...” The words stuck to his tongue but slowly, he got his thoughts out. “I want to protect all of you.”

And fire burned beautifully upon the ring on his hand. Orange embers flickered through the air, drifting along the current before disappearing. He pushed the ring into the box and it opened, revealing a grey pacifier locked in chains.

Lal Mirch’s expression changed. It was a mixture of shock and something more painful. Taking in a deep breath, she swept the pacifier up and left the room in a hurry.

“Be ready for training tomorrow morning at eight. All of you!”

“What’s with her?” Gokudera asked as she pushed past him. 

Reborn didn’t say much. All he did was tell them to get to the kitchen and get some dinner. But Tsuna knew that expression well. It was the same one on shamans that had lost their comrades. A pacifier...the Arcobalenos were dead. Considering how Reborn had mentioned she was once Colonello’s trainer it wasn’t hard to deduce who that pacifier belonged to and what had happened.

Things get harder when you match a name to a face. When a number on the pages translated into people you know...the reality of this cruel era started to settle in. 

Sighing, Tsuna followed the group out into the kitchen.

#

It was night time. 

Dinner hadn’t been a full disaster. There were ingredients inside the fridge so they made some curry and even Lambo helped out a bit. They soon called it a day and everyone retired into a bedroom. 

Tsuna couldn’t sleep. So he went out to get some water in the kitchen but on his way there, he heard something coming from the quiet corner of the base. Intrigued, he moved around and found the Fushiguro siblings behind one of the larger air vents. 

“Megumi, Tsumiki,” he called softly. The other two teens turned to face him and they looked surprised. They were both in T-shits and some joggers as they sat on the floor.

“Tsuna.” Tsumiki smiled and she raised a hand as if she was going to touch him. Yet she hesitated at the last moment. Her eyes were a bit watery as her hand went back down. 

“What’s wrong? You two will catch a cold if you stay on the ground for too long.” He leaned down and took her hand in his. Her fingers felt cold so the jacket he had thrown on when he came out of his room on her. “Megumi too, you are wearing so less.”

The base wasn’t all that cold since the air conditioner was on but the ground was still a bit chilly. 

Something he said must have triggered Tsumiki because the girl threw herself into his embrace. They landed on the ground and Tsuna was surprised when he felt liquid stained the front of his shirt. 

“Tsuna! You’re okay....you’re alright...” she mumbled into his chest and she didn’t let go. Her hold around him was tight, almost too much if he must admit. “I-I thought you were—”

She got pulled away by Megumi. The girl looked up at her stepbrother with a bit of anger as she fumed. “What are you doing?”

“He’s from ten years ago,” Megumi said coldly. Tsuna doesn’t really understand where the slight hostility had come from. “It doesn't change anything.”

Tsumiki pointed at Tsuna. “But he’s here. With us. That’s all I care about.”

Megumi stood up abruptly. “And what good does that do? He can’t even protect himself like this.”

Now that he can’t deny. The battles were more dangerous in this time and Tsuna was years behind on both experience and knowledge. 

A war looked like it was going to break out between the siblings so Tsuna stepped in. He got up and asked the black haired teen, “Can we talk?”

“Talk? Fine, let’s talk.” Megumi narrowed his eyes at him. “Mafia and Jujutsu are both stupid.”

“Megumi, I—”

But the other teen didn’t let him finish. He slapped Tsuna’s hand away when the brown haired teen tried to approach him. Anger rose on his face as his breathing got ragged. “You and that shitty dad of ours should have just stayed out of the country. It’s not like he actually cared about how we are doing so why should you? Besides, we were fine on our own.”

Tsuna felt his throat constricted. He didn’t know what to say to the angry teen in front of him. 

“Vongola this! Vongola that! It’s Vongola’s fault you had to be on the run. This is their war isn’t it? So why do Tsumiki and I have to get dragged into it? These mafia don’t care if civilians got hurt in the process and they trash other people’s lives like it’s nothing.” His voice hitched as he glared at Tsuna. “They are the worst and I hate them.”

Ah.

Tsuna felt a bit of bitter pain in his heart. He knew Megumi was speaking his mind and every word was as true as it could get. Even if he hadn’t said it out loud yet, Tsuna could feel it. He was mafia in name and a portion of Megumi’s anger was directed at him too.

He was mafia. Tsuna doesn’t know what happened during these past years but he would assume it got ugly at certain points. They would have run into enemy families or Vongola troops somewhere along the line and a battle was probably inevitable. 

And there was no way for a mafia to keep their hands clean.

“Megumi! Don’t say that.” Tsumiki stood between Tsuna and Megumi. “You knew how much Tsuna did for us.”

“Who asked him to? He’s not our guardian and he’s out there most of the time with that damn old man. It’s not like we needed to be factored in as part of their happily ever after anyway.”

Sighing, Tsuna grabbed Megumi’s head and pressed it lower. The muscles beneath his palms stiffen but the other teen didn’t move away.

“I’m sorry, Megumi.” Tsuna held him gently. “I’m sorry and I promise everything is going to be alright soon.”

He kept apologizing. It was both to calm himself and because he didn’t know what else he could say. The mafia had intruded into the Fushiguro siblings’ lives and that was the last thing he would ever want for them. Tsuna didn’t know what prompted the future him to make the choices he did...but no matter how justified the choices were, he still hurt someone he held dear. 

He can’t promise that he won’t make the same choices after he had returned to the past but he can correct a wrong right now by ending this war.

Shaking hands found and twisted into fabric on the back of Tsuna’s shirt. Megumi leaned his forehead on the crook of Tsuna’s neck. His words were barely above a whisper when he spoke again. “You shouldn’t have come back. Why do you always come back? That’s stupid. You’re the biggest idiot of them all.”

To which, Tsuna could only laugh. “I am, aren’t I?”

Megumi murmured something but it was too quiet for Tsuna to hear. Then the weight on him got heavier and Tsuna dropped to the ground. Megumi had fallen asleep. His eyes were closed and his breathing evened out as his head rested on Tsuna’s chest.

“He doesn’t mean it.” Tsumiki held him from behind. “We’re happy to see you...”

Her voice trailed off and soon she was fast asleep against Tsuna as well. 

They must be tired after being on the run for two days. He wasn’t sure how much rest the two of them got along the way with Millefiore’s people after them. But they have really grown. Tsuna chuckled softly as he adjusted their positions so the siblings could rest their heads on his lap. 

_So what should I do now?_

It would be a bit hard to move them both back to bed at the same time. Tsuna turned to face the hallway and he said, “Toji-san.” 

The man came out from around the corner. His face was blank as he sat down in front of the three teens. 

“Really should have just left these two with Gojo. It’s not like jujustu high ran out of dorm rooms,” he grumbled as he handed Tsuna a cup of hot chocolate. “Kid actually said something good for once though. We could still ditch this Vongola mess.”

Tsuna rolled his eyes. He knew the man wasn’t serious about leaving now. If he wanted to go, he would never have brought Tsuna back to Namimori in the first place. 

“I think this is why they don’t like you.” He sipped on the drink and the sweetness made his nerves relaxed a bit. “Can’t you be nicer? Even if it’s an act like how you used to do it with all the ladies.”

Toji hummed slightly then he cracked a smile. “Haven’t done that in a long time. Not since I eloped with my dear Vongola Tenth.”

To Tsuna’s embarrassment, the man looked too smug.

The teen would smack him but he didn’t want to wake the siblings. 

“Let’s see if I still got it then,” Toji announced. 

He felt a hand on his chin and a thumb brushed by the edge of his mouth. His gaze found Toji’s and he could see the familiar look in the man’s eyes. Toji was smiling and it made his face look kinder, softer even. Even the scar on his lips looked a bit fainter under the dim light. His eyes contained just a bit more fondness than normal. And anyone that met his gaze would feel like they were drowning into a pond of emerald.

Tsuna’s heart skipped a beat. 

Toji leaned forward, his lips closing in on Tsuna’s while the brown haired teen closed his eyes. 

Then a hand came in between them.

“No,” Megumi’s voice was rigid with frost. His eyes were open and he looked wide awake, like a spooked cat. “Absolutely not. You perverted old man.”

“Tsuna’s fine with it.”

“But I’m not.” The kid shot up and his fist narrowly missed the man’s chin. Megumi quickly flipped his body, recovered, and scrambled to his feet, putting distance between himself and the man. His hands clasped together then twin dogs appeared behind him. 

“Attack,” he ordered.

The dogs pounced and the mini battle between the father and son started. 

Tsuna picked Tsumiki up from the ground, moving away from the almost childish battle.

“Tsuna.” A hand tugged on the front of his shirt lightly. Tsumiki was staring up at him with half opened eyes. “Don’t go.”

He held her tighter towards himself. “I’m right here.”

_I’m right here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lal Mirch isn't mean..,it's just that in her eyes Tsuna was boss and he ran off. Also, I don't think CEDEF people get along with Varia well so she probably didn't liked Xanxus being in charge.
> 
> Megumi is a little more emotionally expressive than he was in canon? I think it would make sense since he grew up with Tsuna around and the KHR gang visited sometimes too. Also he is still in his middle school delinquent phase LOL.


	45. Ten Years Later - 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Some spoilers for JJK. Probably want to finish volume 0 and up to at least chapter 79 before reading if you don't like spoilers.

43

Irie Shoichi didn’t like this place.

It was similar to a shrine or temple but it was the furthest thing from holy. The spotless halls were near empty but he could hear the sound of prayer coming from the side rooms. When they passed by, he saw groups of men and women dressed in all white chanting. There was a craze in their smiles, one that was filled with passion as they bowled to the statue at the front of the room. 

He followed the woman with light coloured hair down the corridor while two of his subordinates and Genkishi followed him. The woman was dressed nicely. She had smooth hair and she looked like any other mature office worker you’d find on the streets. Her smile was soft too, almost like an angel’s, which was expected since she worked for a religious group.

But make no mistake, there was no religion here.

This was a cult.

They offered no salvation. They only offered false hope and death.

“Getou-sama is waiting for you inside,” the woman said politely but her eyes contained no kindness. It was as if she was looking at something lower than an animal, lower than dirt.

Normal people wouldn’t have dared to do so to a core member of the Millefiore family. If Irie was any more hot tempered like a good old fashioned mafia, he might have lashed out at her. But he can’t. Not here. If he touched her or any of the “special” ones inside this temple, he’d set off a landmine.

He was scared.

The deeper he went into this complex, the more anxious he felt. 

The wooden door slid over in front of him to reveal a very traditional Japanese living room. The ground was covered by tatami and there were some calligraphy decorations on the wall. A man was resting on the other side of the room. He was a bit older than Irie with medium length black hair. A portion of his hair was tied up into a bun behind his head while a loose strand fell down his forehead. He was dressed like a buddhist monk too, with black yukata and yellow rakusu. 

“You must be the messenger from Millefiore,” he said as he opened his narrow eyes. They were a dark purple that was almost black and Irie felt an overwhelming sense of evil that he hadn’t felt on anyone else other than Byakuran. “You mafia have been creating some real havoc lately. It’s been causing us some headaches.”

And Irie felt himself being pulled back. Genkishi had grabbed his collar and moved both of them back as far as the room would allow it. But the other two subordinates weren’t as lucky. One of them was missing a foot.

“Ahh!”

The screams were muffled, silenced really, as the injured man’s body flattened out on the ground in a bloody mess. If Genkishi hadn’t pulled him out of the way, that would have been his fate too.

Cold sweat ran down Irie’s back as he clenched the suitcase tight to his chest. Byakuran said he had died here before. Flattened out like a thin sheet of paper as all the bones and organs within his body turned to a puree. That was why Genkishi came with him, even if his presence only increased their chances of survival by a percent or two.

Getou sat up and his eyes landed on Genkishi thoughtfully. “I didn’t think you’d be able to dodge that. But you’re carrying something pretty interesting aren’t you?”

He had attacked without reason. It wasn’t because they said or did anything rude really. Their only sin and wrong was that they were alive. 

After all, this was the worst of the four special grade shamans alive right now—Getou Suguru. This shaman hated humans. More specifically, he hated non-shamans.

Genkishi looked like he wanted to draw out his swords but Irie stopped him. It wouldn’t do them any good. 

“We are here by our boss’s order,” he said quickly while praying it would go well. “We are here to make you an offer.”

Irie unlocked the suitcase before Getou could get another word out. The suitcase was filled with cash and a few of the bills dropped to the group as he pushed the whole thing forward. Getou looked thoughtful as his eyes found Irie’s.

Irie couldn’t breath.

Every cell in his body was screaming for him to get out of here.

Getou laughed. “What is it then? The thing that this monkey boss of yours wants from me?”

“He is planning to eliminate the Vongola Tenth generation. But it would be a problem with Gojo Satoru still in the picture. His presence is also a problem for your goals, isn’t it? Byakuran-sama would like to team up with you to make him unable to interfere with our plans.”

Irie wasn’t sure what Byakuran saw in the parallel worlds. But he does know it was enough to make Byakuran hold back whenever he planned to attack Vongola. 

“Team up?” Getou scuffed. “You low lives really don’t any brains do you? Gojo isn’t someone that the likes of you can deal with. Even if he doesn’t have the support of Vongola, it doesn’t make any difference.”

That was right. Byakuran had said the same thing. Gojo Satoru was not a man that could be measured by the wealth he owned or the number of allies behind him. He alone was an unstoppable army. 

_“To put it simply...He is the strongest.”_

“But it would still cause him some frustration wouldn’t it?” Irie pushed his glasses up. “Flees might be tiny and weak but they are still irritating.”

The last part was a direct message from Byakuran. The Milliefiore’s boss was smiling when he said it, yet his voice was as cold as a thousand years old glacier. 

Getou stood up and he got closer to Irie. The action made Irie and Genkishi tensed up and the swordsman’s hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.

“Are you planning to attack Getou-sama?” It was a girl’s voice. There were two girls standing behind Genkishi. One with black hair and the other with blonde. They were both wearing school uniforms and they looked quite normal. Like any school girl laughing and spending their youth on romantic gossip and worries about exams. However, the expressions on their faces right now were nothing close to friendly or innocent.

“...Commander Irie,” Genkishi rasped out. He felt it too. The murderous intent from the two girls.

Breathing in, Irie said, “Stand down.”

Getou looked at the girls. “Oh, is it that late already?”

“Getou-sama,” the black haired girl holding a doll called. “Who are they?”

“Just some monkeys.” The special grade shaman moved past Irie and Genkishi. The girls flocked to his side immediately. “But these ones seemed to know their place.”

The arrogance in his voice was overflowing. It was obvious he didn’t consider Irie or any of the Millefiore men to be the same species as him. 

The shamans turned to leave the room. But before they go, Getou pivots around to look at Irie in the eyes.

“Tell you what, if you want to wreck up chaos then go ahead. Go on and curse each other. Kill a few hundred of your kind while you are at it. That would be good for me too.” Getou smiled at them and as kind as he looked, all Irie felt was fear. “And tell your boss this, for the amount he is offering, I will give him this information—December 24th. Gojo Satoru will be too busy with something else to go play the mafia game around that time. Not only that, most of the jujutsu sorcerers would be tied up as well. If he needs anything else, there’s Kon.”

Then the three left.

Irie didn’t like the smile on the shaman’s face but he knew this was the best they will get for now. So he set down the money and his knees gave out. 

“Commander Irie, are you alright?” Genkishi asked.

“...I’m fine.” He was alive and that was good. Then his eyes found the bloody mess on the ground and his stomach rebelled inside him. He felt something bitter and acidic rushing up his throat but he forced it back down. “See if we can collect him...we should at least give him a proper burial.”

There was no way Getou’s group would care for something like that. Not for a non-jujutsu user. They would probably mop him up and dump the remains into a sewer as if he was just a squashed bug. 

He hated this place. There was no way he was ever going to set foot here anymore. But he has something to give to Byakuran now.

Footsteps echoed from the hall and Irie stood up. There was an older man with a mustache and a plain black suit at the door. 

“I heard you’re looking for some arms for hire,” he said. “Let me introduce you to a few. We’ve got quite a few candidates up for selection.”

Irie swallowed hard. 

December 24th, that was not so far away.

He doesn’t know what the shamans had planned or how Byakuran was going to use this information.

But he was sure he was going to loathe every single second of it.

#

Hibari joined their ranks soon. The man came with his former assistant head for the disciplinary committee. It was obvious he just fought as there was still fresh blood on his tonfas. 

“I came to get back what’s mine.” Hibari extended his palm out in front of Tsuna. “The cloud ring, Sawada.”

Swallowing hard, Tsuna handed over the cloud ring as if he was presenting offerings at the shrine. Hibari had gotten scarier. How that was possible Tsuna didn’t want to know. 

Hibari took the ring and made some threats that if they kept crowding, he would bite them to death. Kusakabe, the assistant head, on the other hand did give them some details about what Hibari had been doing for the past years. They were researching the rings and the box weapons. Fuuta and Bianchi also returned from their recon mission and it was nice to see them.

“We found the enemy’s base,” Fuuta explained. “It is underneath Naminori’s underground shopping mall.”

The information they brought back was valuable. So much so that Lal Mirch and Reborn begin discussion of a counterattack. But none of it could be carried out until Tsuna’s group was ready. 

Otherwise it would just be suicidal. 

That was why Tsuna was standing in the training room with Lal Mirch and Hibari. Gokudera went off with Bianchi while Reborn took Yamamoto. Even Toji grabbed Megumi and Lambo.

“I’m borrowing one of the training rooms,” the man had announced as he grabbed his son’s collar and yanked the teen out of the room. He already had Lambo pinned in his other hand. “Gonna make these two useful.”

“Hey, let go you damn old man!” Megumi shouted as he tried to free his shirt.

Lambo also raised his hand weakly. “...Can I go with young Vongola’s group? Even Reborn will do too.” 

All the adults simply ignored them. Tsuna watched with a huge sweatdrop coming down his forehead as Toji dragged the two unwilling teens down the hall. He prayed they don’t get too badly beaten up by the end of it. He should probably go check on them afterwards. 

But he also needed to worry about himself too.

“You don’t have a lot of time,” Lal Mirch said. “Even if you can ignite the sky ring, you’re still not enough to take on Byakuran.”

“Then what do we need to do in order for me to get stronger?” Time was ticking. Tsuna would also like to end things quicker so everyone could return to their normal lives. 

“The fastest way would be a trial.”

“A trial?”

Lal Mirch backed away. A little too far if Tsuna was to be honest. “You’ll see.”

And indeed he did.

“Ugh!” Tsuna’s back hit the wall again. The flames on his gloves and forehead were dimming. Hibari was fast and ferocious as always. The needles from his box weapon were also too numerous and too quick for him to keep up with. 

Hiabri had attacked him as if this was a real battle of life and death. There was no stop, going easy, or time to relax. If he didn’t counter, he was going to die. Tsuna got up again and dodged out of the while the needles came down. The purple clouds multiplied around him, encircling him before he could react. 

Then darkness descended upon his world. 

The fire emitted from his palms but they did no damage to the walls trapping him in. Tsuna touched the cool surface around him as he analyzed his surrounding. 

He sat down. This place was obviously not something he could break through with physical strength alone and it was completely sealed in, leaving no space for air to flow through.

He would run out of oxygen sooner if he struggled futilely. 

“The weak will be buried. That’s a given. If you don’t make it out soon, you’ll die.” Hibari’s voice came from outside. There weren't a lot of emotions in his voice but Tsuna knew it was because he was stating a fact.

“Every generation, the Vongola’s boss must undergo a trial,” Lal Mirch said. “The ring will test your true resolution when you have been driven to the point of death.”

This was it then, what Lal Mirch had meant by a trial.

Tsuna breathed slowly to conserve the oxygen. His flames hadn’t done much damage at all but where the ring’s flame touched the walls, it felt like it had melted a bit. 

It was getting harder to breath. Tsuna knew he was running out of time.

He called off his dying will flame and looked down at the ring on his hand. 

“What is it then?” he asked softly. “What more would you like to see from me?”

And he saw it.

It was as if there was a movie being projected into his head. He saw explosions and fire, men begging for their lives, children wailing while the bombs went off. Funerals, a lot of them. People dressed in black and weeping widows with their faces hidden behind black veils. They lost limbs and brothers, lost sisters and sanity...It was horrid alright. Completed with true violence and despair.

“This is the blood-stained history of the Vongola,” a voice said from behind him. Tsuna looked up and he thought he saw a man in a suit with fire covering his face like a mask.

Another more feminine voice sounded from the opposite side. “Do you have the resolution to inherit these past sins?”

More images and voices flooded into his head. They begged and cursed, screamed and shouted...they were the cries for survival.

And Tsuna couldn’t hear his own thoughts over the tragedies.

Outside, Lal Mirch stood across from Hibari with a frown. “Time is almost up. Both Sawada’s mental and physical state should be reaching critical levels now.”

Yet it was so quiet. They couldn’t hear the struggles or flames being emitted. They didn’t hear any cries for help either. The eerie silence almost made her believe that Sawada was already dead.

“There has never been one so young to face the Vongola trial.” Hibari stared at the sphere of needles in the middle of the room.

“Shouldn’t we cease the training then?” She only agreed to Hibari and Reborn’s plan because they said they were going to push Sawada to the extreme. Lal Mirch didn’t expect them to actually cause the teen’s death.

But Hibari didn’t say anything. He closed his eyes and the room returned to silence. 

Lal Mirch sighed as she turned to face the door. “Reborn, call this off now.”

The baby hitman merely shook his head. “You should have a little faith, Lal Mirch. Vongola Tenth might not look like it, but he is truly psychotic. All of them on that side seemed to be like that.”

So, they waited.

Inside, the teen was surrounded by phantoms.

“This is the destiny of Vongola’s successor. This is the price we must pay for the power we wish for,” they said. 

“It is the purpose of the life you were given.”

“Do you have what it takes to inherit this history?”

Their questions swirled inside his head along with the blood and the gore. It was getting overwhelming. All the pain and sorrow of those they killed and were killed...it was too much to bear.

Which was why Tsuna started laughing.

Murder?

Revenge?

Power?

None of that mattered. He had fought those monsters with concrete forms enough times to know that much.

“None of that matters,” he said as he stood up. “Sins? Who cares about what sad or horrible history went into the making of Vongola? You think I haven’t done and seen enough? Those that died without ever knowing how or why, those that turned against each other because of the horrors of desire...I have seen enough monsters to know what lurks in the shadows. Mankind are idiots. We never learn.”

That was why there were so many cursed spirits. The old ones come back and the new ones formed. People get scared, they get angry, and they hate others with a burning passion over the smallest of things...but it was what made them human.

Humans hate.

Humans love.

That was the curse all of them had to bear until death came to collect. 

“So long as we are breathing, we will continue to have conflicts and pain. I don’t give a damn about the past since the people I want to protect are living in the present. My purpose? My purpose is to protect those I held dear and they have nothing to do with your history. If you can’t accept that then all we can do is curse each other until the last one standing!”

Tsuna stumbled a bit as his knees felt weak. He could see the darkness fading. Two rows of people he had never met before stood on either side. Wait, he does know one of them. It was Vongola Ninth.

 _How…?_

There was a man with blond hair in the middle. For some reason, he sort of looked like Tsuna himself but his features were deeper and his body built a bit broader. He lifted his hand and Tsuna saw burning gloves similar to his own. 

“Your resolution has been accepted,” the man sighed. “A greedy resolve built upon curses...now isn’t that just twisted? You’re truly a strange one.” 

His hand landed on Tsuna’s head. It felt warm, almost like the sun. The man chuckled and his form began to fade along with the rest of the others. 

“To flourish or to perish, it is up to you now, Vongola Decimo.” 

Blinding light engulfed the teen’s vision then. His world exploded in blazing heat and it shattered the darkness. When he opened his eyes, he saw Hibari, Lal Mirch, and Reborn staring at him. 

“Impressive, Tsuna.” Reborn smiled at him. 

“Reborn,” Tsuna said while he took in a breath of fresh air. “Don’t tell Toji-san or Megumi.”

It probably won’t sit well with them that he nearly died in a trial.

The hitman hummed. “Wasn’t planning to. That pair would be annoying to deal with at a time like this.”

“Enough talk.” Hibari stood before Tsuna was the lust for battle in his eyes. “From now on I can go all out can I? Let’s begin.”

And the battle resumed.

#

Chrome ran through the abandoned building while carrying the trident in her hands. She can’t stop, not with the enemies chasing her. It wouldn’t be right to engage either, not when she has important information to get to Reborn and the others.

The man after her was Glo Xina, one of Millefiore’s White Spell captains. He was a lanky man with oval glasses and a cruel smile. His box weapon was one with the attribute of the rain—tranquility. While it suppressed the activity of flames, it also slowed the opponent’s bodies down and caused their minds to slowly sink into unconsciousness.

“You have nowhere else left to run,” Glo Xina said as he closed in on her. There was evil glistening in his eyes and the owl behind him flapped its wings to stay in the air. 

Chrome was panting. She was hit by the effects of Glo Xina’s box weapon before. She wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer if she got hit again. 

“Don’t move.”

A younger voice sounded from above them. It sounded like a teenage boy’s and Glo Xina stopped moving. 

“What? Who's there?” the man shouted in confusion as his body turned as rigid as a statue. His feet felt like they had been sewn into the ground even though there was nothing there.

Chrome felt a hand on her back and someone swept her off her feet. An arm hooked under her knee and the air rushed by her face. The person carrying her wasn’t some bulky man though. It was a teenage girl with black hair and glasses. 

She raced up the stairs quickly even if she was carrying Chrome. “Inumaki! Let’s go!”

A boy with light colored hair landed beside them. There were two strange markings on the side of his mouth. They were both in black uniforms.

Jujustus sorcerers. That was the only answer Chrome could come up with.

“Gojo-san...”

“Yeah, we were in the area for a mission and got a call from Gojo-sensei.” The girl smiled at her. “We were told to help get you out of here. That idiot better take us to an expensive sushi place after we’re done.”

They were still a bit of a distance away from Namimori. Chrome had arrived in Japan not too long ago when Glo Xina targeted her. The signal she sent off while on the run must have been picked up by Gojo.

They stopped suddenly. 

The ground before them had erupted, crumbling as what looked like tentacles pushed through the concrete.

“Did you really think you can run from me?” Glo Xina’s voice sounded from within the tentacles. He stepped onto the intact floor in front of them. Behind him, there was a giant squid. This man had a different box weapon on him. “These two...they’re not on the hit list but I guess it won’t matter if I take them out too.”

The girl set Chrome down and she took the spear like naginata off her back. “Go on, get out of here. We’ll take care of him.”

She was talking to Chrome. 

“But—” She couldn’t leave them alone to fight a captain class. 

“You have something more important to do don’t you? Gojo-sensei said it couldn’t wait. If you did, there might be some real bad things happening soon.” The girl slashed her weapon through one of the tentacles that got too close. “Yuuta should have taken care of the other urchins lurking outside, so you have a clear path.”

“Salmon. Soy sauce.”

Chrome couldn’t understand the boy but she had a feeling it meant for her to run. 

“I can’t just leave you two here.” She was the one with the box weapon and a ring. While it might not be a Vongola ring, it was a mist ring. “This is a battle between flames.”

And neither of the two in front of her looked like they were carrying rings or box weapons. The squid attacked at this point, its giant tentacles came down upon them from all directions.

The girl shouted, “Inumaki!”

“Run,” said the boy and Chrome’s body wasn’t her own. Her legs moved as if they had a mind of their own and took her away from the scene.  
She ran and ran. Her lungs were on fire yet her legs didn’t stop. The sound of the building toppling behind her accompanied her steps as she raced through the dirt and headed into the forest. The girl was right, her path was clear and there were no Millefiore troops around. 

_Please be alright._

She prayed and prayed. Even as she could no longer hear the sound of battle. Chrome didn’t know how long it took her but she was constantly on the run. It might have been something the boy did to her or maybe it was just her will that was propelling her to keep moving. She seemed to have heard Mukuro’s voice too. He was telling her to go. When Vongola’s base was finally in sight, Chrome felt the weight of her legs increasing.

_Just a little more._

_Just a little more._

_Mukuro-sama...please wait for me._

Her vision turned blurry from the sweat collecting on her eyelashes. She felt her body giving out and someone caught her.

“Chrome? Chrome!” It sounded like Tsuna. But that can’t be right. The voice was too young and filled with life. She hadn’t heard him like that in a while now. 

Straining, she tried to open her eyes but all she saw was a haze of brown and orangish gold.

 _This flame...it is him. It really is him._

Chrome reached a hand out. Her fingers brushed by skin and the orange flames danced around it. She felt a pulse, strong and steady underneath her hand. 

“I bring a message from the top of Vongola and its affiliated families. The order for the Tenth’s family is to raid the enemy’s Japanese base in five days,” she said. “It’s an all out war.”

Then she blacked out completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gojo is sending his students cause 3 reasons:
> 
> a) Good training against people.  
> b) Shows them the world is a big place even without jujutsu.  
> c) Really don't need Byakuran taking over the world. Too much fear and violence = more curses for them to deal with.
> 
> ...I have been dropping hints about what happened to tyl Tsuna but it will be explicitly stated when I get to the Choice battle. *runs away*


	46. Ten Years Later - 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the delay...I had a bit of a stressful week and just didn't wanted to do anything really. If I am going to put the story on hold then I'll probably put a notice in the summary. 
> 
> Also, since we're on this, do you guys prefer a longer chapter (4000-5000 words) but more wait time or shorter (2000-3000 words) but faster updates?

44

Chrome’s arrival sent everyone into a training frenzy. They had five days until it was time to battle. 

Tsuna went to visit her when she regained consciousness. 

“I was saved by a group of jujutsu sorcerers. They looked like students and they said Gojo-san sent them,” she said while she ate. She must have been hungry since she was already on seconds. “I think one of them was named Inumaki and there was a girl with him. There was also a Yuuta among their ranks.”

“Yuuta...the special grade?” Megumi was murmuring to himself. He had a few bandages on his hands and face. Toji doesn’t go easy even if they are related. “If he joined the battle with Rika, it would turn the tide pretty quick. But that probably won’t do well with the higher ups. He’s still got the...”

His voice trailed off but Tsuna and Toji knew what he was going to say. A pending execution. That was right, Okkotsu Yuuta had been sentenced to death by the higher ups of the jujutsu world. He was only alive because Gojo persuaded (threatened, really) the old zombies to give him a chance.  
Still, they wouldn’t let him run around with Rika freely anytime soon. And without Rika, the young jujutsu sorcerer wouldn’t be able to use his full power.

“So we shouldn’t count on them coming,” Toji concluded. He was right, they can’t count on the jujutsu sorcerers to come to their rescue every time.

They’ve already troubled them enough. 

Come to think of it, it would be the school tournaments for them soon. If Tsuna remembered correctly, the students from Jujutsu High wouldn’t stay in Tokyo for this year’s event.

“Anyways, we can’t pass up an opportunity like this. There is also a chance for the enemy to find us if we just stayed put.” Reborn was thoughtful while he paced around on the table. “We have all of the guardians here, with more of you the chances should be better.”

“Are we all going?” 

“Only the Tenth family are going.” Lal Mirch pointed to the computer screen. “We still need people here at the base to protect Giannini and provide support. The kid and the girls are staying.”

She meant the Fushiguro siblings and I-pin. Tsuna wasn’t about to let them on the battlefield either. 

“What about--”

“I’m going too,” Lambo interrupted Tsuna from the ground while he held an ice pack to his forehead. “If you can go like that then so can I. I’m fifteen now.”

His eyes burned with a serious sort of determination that Tsuna had never seen from him before. So, in the end, the brown haired teen signed and shut his mouth.

But right now the more important thing was still training.

They needed to be better.

Before they all returned to their training, Reborn pulled Tsuna aside. “What are you planning to do with your new type of flames?”

Tsuna shrugged. “I got an idea.”

And it was probably going to hurt. A lot.

#

Irie placed a hand on his head as he moved towards the infirmary. 

Glo Xina was found defeated near Kokuyou. He had cuts on his body, multiple broken bones, and one of his arms was twisted beyond recognition. 

“How did this happen?” 

Glo Xina was a captain class. He had his men with him too but those guys were beaten too. There was no way Vongola still had that much firepower left in Japan. Their radar would have picked up the flame signatures too. 

“It was the doing of jujutsu.”

Irie spun around and found himself face to face with a skeleton. No. It wasn’t really a skeleton. There was a man in the dark corner. He wore all black so it was as if he had morphed from the shadows. His cheeks were sullen and there were burnt marks across his a good portion of his face that also extended down his neck. 

His eyes though, they were fully white. There were no pupils within those opaque white orbs. 

“You are...the one the mediator was talking about?” Irie had requested for some darker help from the other side. Getou might not want to help them but there were plenty of others who would do anything for the right price. 

And Millefiore was willing to pay.

The man nodded.

So he was an ally...at least for now. Irie didn’t like the vibe this man was giving off. Curses, no matter how you tried to think about them, none of it sounded pretty or nice. But he wouldn’t show that when they had common enemies. 

“What should I call you?” 

“Names...My name?” the man mumbled and his tongue slurred. Irie guessed it was because there was an old wound on the muscles used for speech too. 

“That’s not really important. All you need to know is that I am at your service.”

“Why?”

Irie had a feeling that this wasn’t just about money. This man...he had a different kind of aura than those that only aimed for wealth. 

“There’s a rumor going around the last few years,” he said slowly and his eyes never left Irie’s. “They say the Heavenly Tyrant is Vongola Tenth’s sun guardian. And I have a feeling that this is the same bastard that did this to me.”

He mentioned to his eyes and the burnt marks on his skin. There was a hint of something that resembled a smile on his lips but it only made him look even more menacing.

 _Revenge._

Irie turned away. It wasn’t such an uncommon reason to kill within the mafia world. And Millefiore does need people who could deal with jujutsu.

Byakuran wouldn’t be stupid enough to send in unprepared soldiers. 

“Ah, just a second though.” The shaman lifted a finger to get Irie’s attention. “First thing first, I’m out of there if the six eyes show up. I’m here for the Sorcerer Killer, not the six eyes.”

For a moment, Irie doesn’t know what to think. He had been hearing stories about this man named Gojo Satoru and one thing was clear—He was a force to be reckoned with, even Byakuran had to admit that.

_So maybe..._

Irie pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and turned away. His subordinates were waiting beside the door. Glo Xina might be defeated but he didn’t go down without a fight. Also, from what their intel gathered, Gojo was out of Japan right now. 

Byakuran thinks the Vongola rings were still with Gojo but Irie’s haunch said otherwise. No one had ever seen Vongola Tenth’s thunder guardian use a box weapon or any rings. Also, why would Xanxus tell them the whereabouts of the rings so easily? It certainly wasn’t just because he didn’t think anyone would ever be able to take the rings from Gojo.

They were missing something.

Vongola’s mist was found near Kokuyou. The other guardians have also disappeared off their radar, presumably into protection as none of them had been performing their roles in the mafia for the past few years. Combine that with the information Glo Xina got...Irie knew what he needed to do next.

“Gather the troops,” he ordered. “We’re going to launch an attack on Vongola.”

#

The raid was tomorrow.

Tsuna stood in the middle of the half wrecked training room with a blank stare. He had completed it. He had found a way to control the two different types of the sky flame. Tsuna had taken a nap and gotten a shower but he found himself drawn back to the training room. He was practically living here for the past few days anyways. 

The restlessness was chewing away at his heart. 

It must be anxiety getting to him. 

“It’s getting late,” Toji’s voice came from behind him. “What are you doing spacing out here?”

Tsuna continued to stare up at the ceiling as if it contained the secrets of the universe. 

“Yuu probably went to heaven,” said Tsuna after a long silence. 

“Hey,” Toji called as he approached the teen. He had a frown on his face. 

“Tsumiki and my mom have a kind heart too. They will probably go up there as well.”

“Tsuna.”

“Megumi has power and he is a good kid. He’s like the shounen manga protagonist isn’t he? A hero.” Tsuna laughed when he said that and then his eyes found Toji’s. “But you are definitely going straight down, Toji-san.”

The man placed a hand on Tsuna’s head and messed up his hair with a little too much force. “Thanks for stating the obvious. What’s gotten into you?”

“Realty I guess?” Tsuna replied bitterly. “Toji-san, how many people did the future me kill?”

Toji scuffed. “You really expect me to keep count for something like this?”

“Thought so,” sighed Tsuna as he ran a hand through his hair. “There’s no way to keep your hands clean when you’re in the mafia right? I probably did some bad things.”

If he was to apply some euphemism, he would say the situation forced him to make some tough calls. He would say that he was choosing the lesser evil. It was justified. It was the right thing to do.

But in the end, it doesn’t change what he did (or what he was going to do).

He took a life to save another. Tsuna knew this day was coming. A day where he would finally take human life. He had killed many cursed spirits before but a human...it would surely feel different. 

Maybe it will be tomorrow. When they raid the Millefiore’s base. Maybe he would finally do it to protect his friends.

And the thought of that alone sent small tremors down his hands.  
“Life is shit,” Toji scuffed with a hand on the back of his neck. “What’s that got to do with any of the heaven and hell crap you were just spilling? Finally afraid of death now?”

“I guess that’s part of it.” There was no way he wasn’t afraid of dying. He disliked pain and sadness too, both of which accompanied death. 

“Only part of it?” 

“We are horrible people. God won’t save us and there’s no turning back for us either is there?” The teen, the young mafia boss, Vongola’s Tenth, turned to Toji with the brightest smile on his face. He said, “So let’s go to hell together, Toji-san.”  
Toji stood stunned for a moment. His eyes were wide and his body stiff. Finally, he found his voice again and he bursted out laughing like a maniac. 

“That’s not a promise or vow is it?” he asked as he grabbed Tsuna, pulling him in close. 

“It’s not,” Tsuna agreed. “It’s a curse.”

Because there was nothing stronger than a curse that stemmed out of love.

“Even if you chicken out, I will drag down there with me.”

“I won’t. I made a promise, remember?” 

Tsuna placed a hand on the man’s face. He could feel the familiar heat from the other person’s body. 

“I’m still here, Toji-san.” He pressed his lips on the scar by the man’s mouth. “I always will be.”

Toji shifted his head slightly and his free hand was on the back of Tsuna’s head. The man pulled back and pressed Tsuna’s head towards his chest. They held each other close, Tsuna could feel a light kiss brushing by his forehead. For some reason, Toji’s reaction felt a bit off to Tsuna. To be honest, he was expecting a more aggressive response or maybe even a scolding for thinking he was going to die at the hands of some mafia rats. But Toji did none of that. The man merely held him tight while rocking their bodies slightly. 

He smelled gunpowder, sword oil, and the rusting scent of blood.

It was familiar. It was the scent of death and violence.

Tsuna knew he wasn’t Yuu. He would never be her. He could never replace her. If she was still here, she would have been Toji’s saving grace. She was the one and only who could ever help him out of this muddy swamp of misery and bloodshed. Yuu was normal. She had no connection to jujutsu or the mafia. She was different from them. 

She was the light.

And Tsuna could never become the light. Not with the blood on his hands. So the only thing he could do was sink down deeper into whatever hell laid ahead with Toji. That was the price he must pay to repent for his sins.

Tsuna knew he wasn’t the good guy. Even if he excluded the whole mafia business, deep down, he was just another selfish bastard. He wanted the people around him to be happy. He didn’t want them to suffer the same loneliness he had gone through in his childhood. And he knew, he knew that if he wanted to live freely he would have to hurt others to do so.

Yet he still chose to do it anyways. 

_I cross my heart and hope to die…I would never leave you alone even if I die._

_At least we will have each other for company when we go down._

Tsuna felt a drowsy sleepiness taking over his mind. He let his body relax as his eyelids fluttered close. He could hear a soft laugh beside his ear. 

“Good night kid.”

He might have mumbled a reply but he doesn’t really remember. 

Because that was when a vibration shook the ground and alarms blared through the whole base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tyl arc will probably go on for a few more chapters. Tsuna's characterization at this point probably diverged from a canon a bit more than usual. Let me know what you guys think of this Tsuna! Also, anything that you want to say about this story is good too, helps me see if I am lacking in certain areas (except grammar, sometimes my brain just can't English) or not clear enough. 
> 
> I think I'll be putting some JJK canon characters (ex: Yuuji) in the extras. Maybe when I feel like it in the future I'll open a part 2 and write future KHR gang x JJK.


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